Jealousyby FlutterpriestChaptersDay 2Day 3Day 1Day 2You open your eyes, feeling the daze of sleep still clinging tightly to your eyes. That’s weird. Your alarm isn’t going off. You actually managed to get some decent rest and wake up before your alarm for once. You smile and decide the best way to relish this moment would be to roll over and enjoy a few extra minutes of rest. You roll over and promptly fall on the ground. Your eyes shoot open and take in your surroundings. You’re in your living room. Not your bed. Shit. What time is it? Taking a step, you feel the numb, prickly feeling of your leg being asleep. Still, you charge your way into the kitchen and check the clock. 9am. You’re two hours late for work. “Shit, shit, SHIT!” you groan, as you throw on your shoes and burst through the door to your home. You decide it’s best to head straight to Sweet Apple Acres, ignoring breakfast. Not that you’d want it anyway, you feel quite full. Hell, if you’re lucky, you won’t even run into Fluttershy on the way there. “Oh, right,” you say to yourself. “Fluttershy dumped me.” Wait. The fuck are you saying. You two weren't a thing. You two were NEVER a thing. Yet, as you turn back to look at the entrance of your home, a part of you feels empty. You sigh and shake your head. It’s just another thing to get used to. Your jog turns into a walk as you decide that there’s not much sense in rushing. You’re already late. Being even later isn’t going to make things worse. Shoving your hands into your pockets, you watch the ground and kick whatever stones you find in your path. Fluttershy seems to be plaguing your thoughts, or at least what little good memories you had of her plague your thoughts. Like the time she sent you a bowl of soup when you were sick. Or when she thought giving you a cat would make you happier. Except, you were allergic to cats. That didn’t turn out well. Maybe… Maybe you shouldn't have been so hard on her yesterday. Pushing the thought away, you enter the Apple's farm. Maybe after work you should try to make things better with Fluttershy. At very least, it could try to ease your troubled mind. But for now, it’s time to work. A hard day will be able to get your mind off of your situation for a little while. "Great job, Anon! Let's grab the next field." Wait. What. "Thanks, AJ. This job is a piece of cake! I'm just happy you can help me earn some bits." "No problem, partner. That’s what friends are for." What the hell is that guy doing here? Doing your job? "Hey Applejack. Anon." You refuse to look at the only other human in this world. "Bout time ya showed up, sleepy head! Thank goodness ah got Anon here to help pick up the slack." "My bad. I had a rough night," you reply. "That's a shame, cause my night was great. Didn't get too much sleep, though," Anon interjects. Applejack casts Anon a glare while you refuse to let him have the satisfaction of a reaction. "Why don't we just get to work?" you ask. Normally the hard work gets you a good workout and helps you focus, but today your head isn't in the game. By the time you clean out one tree, Anon completes two. You groan to yourself and feel your blood boil. How dare he? "You know… You are going to tire yourself out if you keep that pace," you say to him snidely. "You kiddin me? I'm on easy mode." And then, he proved it. A monkey couldn't swing from branch to branch faster than his speed. He cleans out a tree almost as fast as Applejack bucks a fresh one. Hours pass. At the end of the day you’re exhausted, hungry, and beat. You hardily reached your normal apple harvest cap. Meanwhile, Anon hasn't even broke a sweat. "Well boys, payday! Come'ere Anon, I'll give you a bit of an advance so you can get started." Advance? AJ never gave you an advance in order to get your life on track. You had to do it through your own blood, sweat, and tears. "Thanks Applejack, see you tomorrow! Can't keep Shy waiting!" Anon says. He shoots a wink towards you. You make a fist. Daring him to start something. "Hey, uh. I think we need to talk," Applejack says to you as Anon jogs away. "Well, uh, okay Applejack. Whats up?" "It's about your performance the last few days. You aren't workin’ at your normal pace," she says. "Well. Uh. I’m Sorry, Applejack, I've just had a lot on my mind lately. I'll pick up the pace. I promise." A lot is an overstatement. The only thing on your mind right now is Fluttershy and making amends. And that jerk. "Well, here's the problem, partner. I can't keep two workers fer forever." You lose your breath for a second. "Ah know you've been here a long time, but ah need you to pull yourself together now,” she says bluntly, but honestly. You nod. This is it. "I'm gonna keep your pay for today, but that's because tomorrow is your last shot. Y'all decide if it's yer last paycheck. Ah hope it won't be." Anon is slowly trying to take everything dear to you. He tried to take your home. Now your job… maybe even your friends. You won't let him. "I understand, Applejack. I'll be on my A-game tomorrow." "That’s the spirit," she says with a smile. You head back towards Ponyville, thinking out a plan for how to make amends with Fluttershy and keep your job. Maybe Twilight would have some good advice? Probably not. She is too busy trying to learn and experiment with her new princess powers. There is always taking to Pinkie again. Plus you should probably apologize about the cake yesterday. But then again, you would hate to bother her with all of your troubles. Rainbow Dash is at the Wonderbolt Academy this week, so that's out of the question. Which leaves, Rarity. You could go to her shop to get fitted with a new outfit, and ask for advice in the process. It seems like a good idea. But then again, she does love to pass around rumors. Could you really trust her? Do you really have a choice? The Boutique it is. Once you reach the front door of the infamous Carousel Boutique, you pause to notice the closed sign hanging from the window. Sure enough, when you try to turn the knob, the door is locked tight. Maybe… Maybe it’s best to just go home. No. You’ve came too far to stop now. You give the door three hard knocks. "We're closed for today!" calls the familiar voice of Rarity on the other side. "Even for a friend?" you call back. The door opens revealing the element of generosity with a wide smile. "Oh! Of course! Come in. Come in! So good to see you! What can I do for you? You so rarely visit, I'm guessing you need new clothes?" she says. You step inside, gazing around at the various outfits hanging from mannequins for display. Rarity closes and locks the door behind you as you turn to her. "Yeah if you don't mind, but I got something else I'd like to talk to you about too." Rarity trots over to a bench and begins to grab various pieces of black clothing for a suit. "Oh? Do tell. Do tell. Oh! I had this most magnificent idea for an outfit for you today. I've been experimenting with leather and denim and winter is coming up, so I thought I-" "It's about Fluttershy." Rarity becomes quiet, and continues to grab more materials from her workroom. Maybe this wasn't a good idea. The whole store is quiet as you wait for her response. She re-enters the main room and begins drawing her ideas. "Go on,” she says simply. It’s hard to get any sort of beat on what she’s thinking. Perhaps she’s just focused into her work? Or is she mad? "Well. I'm assuming that you heard about what happened yesterday," you start. "Which part? You must be more specific. Could you get on the fitting platform? I'm almost done sketching this out," she says flatly. You step onto the platform as she asked. You feel your gut begin to clench. Maybe coming here wasn’t such a good idea after all. "Well, about Fluttershy... losing interest in me." "You mean breaking up with you," she corrects you quickly. There’s no point in fighting the story anymore. "Yes." "Then you admit it." "Yes. Fine. We broke up." "Good. That's the first step to recovery," she says flatly. These fucking ponies. Whatever. Just play along. "Well. I'm wondering if I should talk to her and try and make things better." Suddenly a roll of denim, under Rarity's magic, wraps around your legs and begins to form a new pair of jeans. "Why do you want to do that?" "I've just been thinking and, well, maybe I was a little hard on her. I could have been better to her." "Now are you doing this because she broke up with you, or because she is hanging around with Anon?" Ouch. Rarity knew all the right questions. "Shirt off please?" she asks. "Sure." You take off your shirt to show off your muscled physique. Rarity blushes. “This will just take a second,” she says. A roll of cotton wraps around your arms and midsection, magically sewing a new t-shirt. "Well?" she asks, waiting for your answer. You shake your head and sigh. "A little of both honestly. I miss her being around all the time. I feel like I lost a good friend." What the hell are you saying? Do you remember when she replaced all of your toilet paper with love letters? Remember when she assured you that you shouldn’t live anywhere than her petting zoo of a home, since you’re an animal in their world? Remember how she would still come to see you every day? Remember when she gave you that hug the first day that you came to Equestria? When you needed the moral support the most? Remember how she always cared for you? Even when you got hurt? It was always her that took you to the hospital. "Are you sure you aren't just jealous?" Rarity asks. "No! I'm not just jealous, Rarity." "It sounds to me like you might be jealous." She wraps black leather around you, fitting for a leather jacket. "This jacket is going to take a while to get done, since I haven't done one of these for a human. It'll be ready tomorrow morning." "I'm not jealous." "If you aren't jealous, then go talk things through with Fluttershy, but if you are, stay away." "Fine. Thanks." "I mean it,” she says firmly, a bleeding edge to her words. She stares bullets at you, and her once gentle voice now becomes hard and serious. "I haven't seen Fluttershy this happy before. I don't want you to go breaking her heart or ruining her chances with Anon." Ouch. "At least he actually loves her." "Who said I didn't love her." "You did. All the time. Every day. And just a few moments ago." The words burn on the inside. Maybe she really did listen to you. “Well, I didn’t love her,” you say. Rarity shakes her head and turns away from you. "It tore me up to listen to her cry. Every time about you not loving her as she did for you. I won't allow you to do that to her again." "Then I'm going to go set things straight," you say. "Remember my words." Silence falls over the store as you realize she’s finished speaking with you. You take careful steps to the door as she calls after you. “Your jacket will be ready at 7am.” You pause, hand on the door, and turn back to her. "Thanks, Rarity." "I didn't do a thing." You open the door, hearing the entrance bell jingle. "I know." The door closes behind you as you set off at a jog towards Fluttershy's Cottage. What are you going to say when you get there? What could you possibly say that could make things better after all of the heartache you’ve caused her? You that will have to be figured out based on how she reacts. All that matters is setting things right. When you approach the cottage the lights are on and the moon is starting to rise in the night sky. Chances are, he’s probably there… but you’ll just have to tough through it. Maybe if you can just make things with Fluttershy, your mind will stop guilt tripping you so badly. That has to be it. It has to be that your conscious is on overdrive. You approach the door but stop, wondering if it might just be smarter to go back now. If you do, it could prevent some sort of confrontation or making things worse. On the other hand, you might be asking yourself ‘What If’ for the rest of your life in Equestria if you don’t try and do something. ‘No fucking way am I backing down now.’ You knock on the door and it immediately swings open to reveal an excited Fluttershy. Your heart skips a beat. "Oh thank goodness you are back, Anon! I was beginning to get worried and-" She cuts off her words when she sees your face. "Oh, um. Hey. Was there something you needed? Otherwise it's late... um... if you don't mind." Your happy energy and confidence drain from you like a cracked coffee mug. "Yeah, um, I wanted to talk to you about something." Her expression becomes exasperated and her tone heats up. "About what? I'm sorry. I thought you were the one that said they needed time." You take a step back. This was an assertive side of Fluttershy you haven’t seen before. Had you really been that awful to her? Maybe it’s best to take this very, very carefully. "I just. I feel like I'm the one that should apologize. I never really treated you right. You were so kind to me and only wanted to make me happy. She stares at you expecting more. "... but I was an asshole. I kicked you off my doorstep, threw you out windows, made you face some of your worst fears-” "Humiliated myself." ".. yes, and humiliate yourself." "Get to the point,” she says flatly. She’s clearly not having it. Maybe this was a waste of time. It’s now or never. "I just wanted to say I'm sorry and see if there was anyway we could return to normal?" Her face begins to become pink. And pinker... and pinker. Oh wait. That might be the darkness playing tricks on you. That’s red. "How dare you." You take a step back, feeling the chill in the air steep into your soul. "How dare you!" She flies in the air above you. "I work hard for months to try and make you love me the way I loved you, and now when I finally found the special somepony of my dreams, you think you can walk over here on two legs and ask for me back!" Time seems to freeze. "How DARE you not think about what I may want. How DARE you ask for me back after everything I've done for you." Guilt rises from your stomach to the back of your throat, destroying your ability to talk. "Lastly.... How... How dare you..." Then Fluttershy sniffs, and her wings faulter. She falls to the ground on all four of her hooves and advances towards you. Guilt turns to self-loathing as she fights losing her composure. A losing fight, as tears form in the corners of her eyes. "How dare you play with my emotions that way. Rarity had me convinced that you would never love me. I still tried so hard for you. I tried. SO. HARD." You open your mouth, but words don't come. "Now you come here, and play with my emotions like they are a filly's plaything! Even when I have somepony who really loves me." She has nearly broken down into tears, she lands on the ground back inside the cottage. "Well I'll put this in words I'm sure you will understand." She stares directly into your soul. For the first time, you see the deep gentle person deep inside her. The person you loved. The person you destroyed. "We were never a thing." The door slams in your face, and crushes all reality around you. Only one other sound fills the space around you. Fluttershy's deep sobs, which travel deeper into her house, until they are gone. Only silence envelops you, the landscape only lit by the pale full moon. You fall to you knees. "Great job, Asshole,” says a crass voice. You turn around to see him. "Now I'm probably not getting any tonight." Your numbness turns into fire, burning all of your senses. Thoughts and words become automatic as you rise to your feet, fists drawn. "You know what. Fuck you. If you really cared, you would be inside taking care of her right now." "You’re right, and I'm right here. What do you think that means?" "Fuck you." "No thanks, but I'm sure I can tell you how I fucked her." "That is it." You launch a fist towards him, but he steps aside. "Hey buddy, you missed your chance. Now, it's my turn." You charge towards him, fists extended, ready to destroy him. A purple barrier separates the two of you. "WHAT THE FUCK?!" you scream. "Thank you for your tip, Rarity," a voice says as two sets of hooves approch you. "No problem, Twilight. I'm going to head inside and see how she is doing." No longer shrouded by night, Princess Twilight and Rarity emerge from the darkness. "As for you two. I can't have you hurting each other. At least not this way," Twilight says. You stare at the only pony keeping you from attacking your enemy. "Go on," you reply. "I understand that you two are fighting to have the same job, same marefriend, and even the same residence from the mayor." "Oh yeah, about that. You didn’t know, did you? Did you get your eviction notice?" he sneers at you. You pound as hard as you can against Twilight's purple barrier, but it only hurts your hand. "There’s rules for this, from old Equestria. Old duels of honor. I can allow you two to fight only on one condition." You stare at her. If looks could kill, she would be on fire. "The loser must be subject to my new teleportation spell. It should return the them to Earth. I think it’ll be more… well, humane than the death penalty," Twilight says Your answer is pure reflex. "I'm in." You look to your opponent with murder in your eyes. "I accept the challenge," Anon says. "Fair enough. I will see you two at 7:30am outside the library. Now go home. Neither of you try anything funny." You walk home. Never so determined about something in your life. You will fight. You will win. Kicking down the door to your home, you run upstairs, slam the window shut, and collapse into bed. Falling asleep will be no easy task, but you need to strength for tomorrow. Tomorrow will be a huge day. Maybe you can even win her back. Day 3“Everything’s going to be fine, darling. Just you wait,” Rarity says, closing the door behind her. Fluttershy sighs and shakes her head, dabbing her eyes with a handkerchief. “There. Now all-” The door to Fluttershy’s cottage creaks open and Twilight steps inside. “Hey, Fluttershy,” she says softly. “How are you holding up.” The pegasus looks away from Twilight and looks to the floor, sniffing her nose. “The best I can, I suppose. Did he...” “Yes… things got a little… rough.” Fluttershy shakes her head and turns back to Twilight. “Where’s… Anon?” “I thought I would have him stay at my place for the evening. Just to be sure he’s safe.” Fluttershy walks to the window and peers out at the night sky, thinking to herself. "I just hope Anon didn’t say anything too mean." Twilight tilted her head, studying the features of her friend for any hint to what was on her mind. "Anon said what he needed to. I heard it all. The duel tomorrow should be-" A silence falls over the room as Twilight chooses not to complete her sentence. Fluttershy’s gaze falters as Angel Bunny hops to one of her hooves and places a paw on her. The pegasus looks down to her pet, then to the princess. "I don't know if I want this, Twilight." Twilight remains silent, closing the gap between the two of them. "I just... I just don't want either of them to get hurt. Especially him...” “You mean Anon?” Twilight asks. Fluttershy looks to Twilight and remains silent. Suddenly, the Princess begins to see what’s truly on her friends mind. "You should have seen him out there tonight. He was defending you. Anon was… being kind of a jerk. He almost knocked down my barrier. I think he will be fine." Fluttershy nods, then wraps her hooves around her friend. Twilight pulls her close. “Don’t worry. Nothing bad is going to happen tomorrow, I promise,” Twilight says. “Get some rest. I’ll see you tomorrow.” Fluttershy nods, then breaks her embrace. “Is there anything I can get you?” Twilight asks. “No, I think I’ll be fine. Thanks, Twilight,” Fluttershy says. Twilight nods, then moves to the door. With a quick goodbye, she’s out the door. Fluttershy makes her way upstairs to her bedroom. She checks her alarm, then looks back to the door. She climbs under the covers and lays in bed, looking to where Anon laid last night. “It’s still not him,” she mutters under her breath. “It’s not the same.” She rolls over in bed, closing her eyes tightly. The blaring alarm is immediately silenced. It reads 2:30 am. A figure rises from their bed in the dark. Tired and groggy, they make their way hastily towards the bathroom. The light turns on to reveal the frazzled mane and bloodshot eyes of the mare, Fluttershy. “I’m running out of time,” she mutters under her breath. "My goodness, my mane is a mess. I have to look my very best." Fluttershy turns to the shower and turns on the burning hot water, filling the room with steam. She relished in the warmth that graced her fur, letting memories and all of her work that build up to this point wash off of her like suds in the shower. ~ ~ ~ “Oh dear,” Rarity says, “You simply must ditch that human, he’s simply more trouble than he’s worth.” “I know,” you say, taking a sip from your cup of tea. “But… I love him… and I’d do anything to make him mine.” “He’s physically hurting you. There’s one thing when it’s Pinkie’s comedy, but you can’t just toss a mare off of a roof.” “Well, I mean. I have wings.” “Fluttershy, that’s not the point. I’ve been in bad relationships. I’ve concealed a bruise before. That human is bad news. ~ ~ ~ “Do you mind if I bring Anon by to show him Sugarcube Corner?” she asks Pinkie. Pinkie looked at her over the counter of sweets in the bakery. “Fluttershy, don’t get me wrong. I’m really happy for you. Really, I am… but I’m really nervous about hurting… well you know who’s feelings. Maybe it’s not the best idea. Everyone should be happy. I wouldn’t do anything to hurt anyone.” ~ ~ ~ “Hey, Twilight… Do you have a minute?” Fluttershy asks, stepping inside the Golden Oaks Library. “Sure thing! I just got done reading that romance novel you loaned me last night. It was fantastic! The way he fights to win her heart at the end was so wonderful. So romantic.” “Well, um. That’s… not quite why I came. You can keep the book.” “Really? Wow, thank you. I appreciate it. Well, what’s wrong?” “Well… see, it’s about. Uhm. you know who.” Fluttershy says quietly. Twilight gives Fluttershy a curious look, then motions for her to sit down. “Is everything okay? You generally seem so happy with him. If, well, a bit frustrated.” “Well. No. I just. I just don’t feel very appreciated… I don’t know what to do.” Twilight remains silent, then an idea springs to her head. “You know, I have an idea. It will be so exciting! Just you wait. It's like we're writing our own little love story!" ~ ~ ~ Fluttershy snickers to herself as she shuts off the water. “She even thought it was her idea,” she mutters under her breath. “Though, I admit her clone spell was a very nice touch.” Fluttershy looks at herself carefully in the mirror. Taking her make up, she carefully tries to cover up days of built up dark circles under her eyes. Her eyes are heavy, but her resolve is stronger as she sets the make up aside. Wrapping her mane in a towel, she trots downstairs with a smile on her face. “But, my touch is a little better, if I do say so myself.” Fluttershy walks into her kitchen and quickly moves to a set of cabinets just beside her back door. She moves aside several heavy bags of animal feed away from the bottom drawer and unbolts the lock on it. She crouches down, opens the drawer, and pulls out a bottle of pink liquid, leaving two identical empty bottles inside. “There’s still plenty of time,” Fluttershy whispers to herself as she trots towards your home. “I paid too many bits for these to go bad, or to miss my time.” She pulls the bottle out of the bag and looks over it carefully, reading the label again. ‘Give dose every 24 hours for three days. After third day, love potion will take full effect. Side effects such as irrational behavior and judgment, loss of appetite, and severe chills… Only works if drinker has some existing feelings for intended lover.’ “I just hope nopony sees me… or I don’t wake him up...” Fluttershy whispers as she approaches your home. She trots to one of your windows, then pushes hard on the bottom. “Shoot… it was unlocked yesterday...” Fluttershy takes a few steps back and looks over each door and window. She moves to the front door and jiggles the handle. “Locked...” She trots around the back and tries the same to the back door with no avail. Fluttershy groans, but remains resolute. She looks up to your bedroom window and nods. Placing the potion in her mouth, she extends her wings and takes to the sky. She quietly flutters to your window and slides open the bottom half. She slips inside and places her hooves on the bedroom floor. One step at a time, she moves closer to your beside as you sleep soundly. Her shadow from the moon hangs menacingly over the covers and she smiles as she approaches the bed. You’re curled into the fetal position, trying to keep yourself warm under the covers. She pauses, then looks towards the window for a moment, before turning back to you. “This is for your own good...” she says, feeling your pain as if it were her own. Fluttershy sets the bottle down on your bedside table, then covers you in your blankets. She places a hoof against your forehead to check for a fever. Your skin is hot and clammy to her touch. "Wha?" you mutter in a groggy haze. "Fluttershy?" "Yes, Anon?" she quietly responds. "What are you doing here?" you ask. "You are dreaming, Sweetie. Go back to sleep," she whispers. She cradles your face in her hoof. You shiver and pull the covers close, eyes shut. "I don't want to. I don't want to lose you again," you groan and mutter as sleep tries to reclaim you. "I can't lose the fight tomorrow." Fluttershy smiles, a tear forming in her eye as she takes the potion in a hoof. "Here sweetie, drink this, it will make you strong,” she says, like a mother offering milk to her kin. She uncorks the bottle and pours it down your throat, one drop at a time. "You are going to be fantastic. I know you will," she says gently. You gulp down the last bit and lose yourself to the waves of the night. The tear runs down Fluttershy’s face as she finally takes what she always wanted. "I love you." Your eyes shoot open, feeling refreshed and renewed. Like a whole new person. It’s amazing what a good night’s sleep can do for a person. You probably could have done without all the nightmares though. Most of the night it was nightmares about losing Fluttershy, and being sent back home. In pieces. You thought going home was what you always wanted, but now it just feels different. You could never imagine going home now. The weirdest part, was right at the end, Fluttershy was there to tell you she loved you, and to give you strength. You felt stronger. You can do anything. And now, you had to fight for what you wanted. You cleaned yourself up quickly, speeding through your morning routine and stepping out of your home without a bite to eat. One could say you needed your energy, but more important was staying light on your feet. You could afford to think of eating anyway. All that matters is one thing. Beating the shit out of Anon. As you leave your house, you refuse to take a look back. You know that you will see it again. You have to believe that. Making your way into Ponyville, you catch sight of Pinkie Pie opening up Sugarcube Corner. "Hey, Pinkie." She freezes at the sound of your voice. "Hey," she responds. You've never actually seen or heard Pinkie Pie feeling sad, but this was definitely it. "You heard?" "Yeah," she says, trying her best to hold herself together. “I… I don’t want you to go.” "Pinkie, I'm not going anywhere." She nods and leaves the shop still locked to follow you. You two cross Carousel Boutique at about 7am. Rarity stands outside, holding a sturdy leather jacket. Silently, she falls in step with the two of you as she lifts the jacket to you with her magic. Putting it on, you manage to fend off the morning chill and warm yourself. "How do I look?" "Simply marvelous," she says. An awkward tension fills the air. Nothing more needs to be said. The mares follow you in silence. As you approach the library, Fluttershy is standing outside. Guilt sweeps over you for everything you said last night. You decide maybe it's better if you leave her alone for now. "Anon... could you... um... come here for a minute?" she asks. For the first time in a while, you feel warm inside. As you head towards her, you can't help but notice her true beauty. Her teal eyes looked so warm and inviting, and her hair gently blew with the wind. She was a goddess among ponies. You get down on one knee so you don't look down on her. "Yeah?" you ask. "Um... I just wanted to say that I'm sorry for what I did last night," she says "It's okay, I was the one out of line," you reply. Those words felt weird coming out of your mouth. They didn't really feel wrong though. "No, it was me. I just hope that, maybe after this fight... um. I-If you are still... here-" she stutters. She looked down at the ground with tears in her eyes. Instinctively you wrapped her in your arms. "I'm not going anywhere, Shy?" When did you start calling her Shy? Well, there was your dreams of course, but that was different. "Anon... you don't have to do this," she mutters. You look into her eyes, and she looks deep into you. For the first time, you feel like you see the mare for who she really is, a kind and gentle pony. The mare that the whole town knew couldn’t hurt a fly. The kindest pegasus you know. "This isn't just about us anymore, Shy. This is about standing up for myself." Fluttershy stops to say something, but holds herself back. "Just... do your best Anon. For me." She reaches up and you feel her lips press against your cheek. The first of many to come. "I promise." The door to the library opens. Anon steps outside with a smug look on his face, arms folded. "I didn't take you to be the early type," Anon says. "There is a lot you don't know about me." "Oh, like what? How you never even liked Fluttershy until I came along?" "That's not true." You take a moment to gather your surroundings. Twilight and Spike stood on the balcony of the library, watching from above. Fluttershy and the other two mares watched from a distance. "Suuure, champ. Everyone shows their feelings with violence and insults. You could have killed her you know. I bet you wouldn't have even cared," he says. "Things were different. I made mistakes and I will make them right. Unlike you. You don't even care for her." "So what? All I have to do is beat you, right now, and I might even have time to get to work early. Then I'll get all the tail I want." Magma fills your veins as you clench your fists. This wasn't about just beating him anymore. How dare he? "Gentlemen? Do you accept this duel?" Twilight calls from a balcony the Golden Oaks Library. "Yes," you respond. "Damn right." You stand 10 paces away from your enemy, your friends watching on in unblinking terror. “The loser of this fight, is sent back to Earth,” Princess Twilight says from the balcony of her castle. Taking a deep breath, you crack your knuckles and stare directly at him. “Fluttershy is mine.” You immediately charge at Anon with a strong left locked and ready. He strafes to the left, deftly dodging your attack. He's faster than you remember from yesterday. Jumping back, you narrowly miss a kidney punch. Trying to react quickly, you send a strong uppercut towards his jaw. This hit connects, and aim a follow-up to the solar-plexus. He grabs your arm and puts you in an arm lock. Stomping his foot, you use your free arm to elbow him and get your arm free. Taking a step back to get your bearings, his fist is flying towards your eyes. The fist hits so hard that you lose your balance and fall to the ground. Rolling to the left, glimpse a foot just missing your face. You hop up and wipe the blood off your eyes. You don't even feel where it's coming from. He doesn't even look phased. This is bad. That was almost the best that you had. Playing the defensive, you try to wear out Anon by letting him attack you. He hits a few times, but no major hits are slowing you down. His speed is what is wearing you down the most. You can't keep up with him. Capitalizing on a dodged left swing, you deliver another uppercut directly to his chin, and deliver a strong blow to his gut. He falls over, but quickly recovers. There is no stopping this guy. He charges towards you with another strong right hook prepared. This is going to be your only chance. Crouching down, you prepare for a strong jab to his diaphragm. If you hit, you should have enough time to get a head lock on him. When he is about two feet away, you put everything you have into one strong punch. Your face burns and blood begins to fill your mouth, as you feel the imprint of his fist on your cheek. You fist feels like it is digging into his body. He falls to his knees, trying to catch his breath. You wrap your arm around his neck. "Just a little bit of force, and it's all over! Give me one good reason not to!" Twilight gasps. You spit out the blood in your mouth, and Anon begins to laugh. "Is this what you really want?" "The FUCK did you say to me?" "Is this what you really want? If so, then do it." Every ounce of hatred that is coursing through your veins tell you to do it. Kill him now. He hurt your Shy. Your stomach becomes rock hard, and you begin to feel sick. Something tells you that killing him will make you feel better. Kill him. Fluttershy wants you to. You deserve to kill him after everything he did. "ANON! DON'T!" Fluttershy screams out. You push him down into the dirt. "Stay there." He coughs out some blood, but remains motionless. You look to Twilight with a determined look on your face. "I win." She nods to you, and Anon begins to disappear from Equestria, leaving nothing but a small bloodstain in his wake. Exhausted, you kneel down on the ground. Which turns into falling over. Your body must still be in adrenaline mode, because you know that you hurt, you just can't tell where. The sound of hooves galloping towards you signals the approach of Fluttershy, Rarity and Pinkie. Fluttershy is on top of you in seconds. "Are you okay? We need to get you to the Hospital right away," Fluttershy says. "No, I'm fine," you reply. "No way! You need to be examined right away, there is blood everywhere." "No really, I think-" A massive wave of tiredness overtakes you. He must have really messed you up. You close your eyes and find that breathing is hard. "Twilight! Hurry! Get help!" Fluttershy places her hoof on your hand, but you do not respond. The gentle beep of the EKG machine fills the white, sterile room as Fluttershy watches your expression for any sign of change. Dark circles weigh like anvils under her eyes as she tries to keep herself away for a second straight day. She checks the door to your hospital room, in some hope that the next passing nurse would be the one stopping in your room. She closes her eyes, and lays her head upon your chest. “This is all my fault...” she mutters. The sign on the wall had “Critical, yet Stable” in red dry-erase marker. Just in case it needed to be changed. The list of symptoms including chills, abnormal bruising, a broken rib, some internal bleeding is listed underneath. The doctors are searching for any reason why you aren’t waking up yet. “I’d take it all back… if you’d just wake up,” she whispers, eyes too ran out of tears to cry. A gentle knock on the room door catches Fluttershy’s attention. "Miss Fluttershy?" a pink haired nurse asks. She raises her head and looks to the professional. "Y-Yes?" "Could we speak with you for a moment?" "Of course." Fluttershy looks over your unconscious form, closes her eyes, then follows the nurse out into the hallway. She closes the door then gives Fluttershy a stern look. She flips a few pages on her clip book before she decides to say something. "We can release him once he wakes up. He just needs someone to take care of him once he’s out of the hospital." "T-That’s good. I'm sure he will be happy to hear that," Fluttershy says. "Do you intend to be watching him while he recovers?" Fluttershy’s expression flickers between a light smile, then back to a stoic expression. “Only if he wants me to be.” The nurse marks a few extra check marks on her clipboard then nods. "There is just one last question," she says. "Yes?" Fluttershy asks. "Do you know anything about this?" The nurse unclasps a piece of paper from her clipboard and hands it to the yellow pegasus. “This is the results of a few blood tests we ran on him. We found some… unknown substance in almost 20% of his bloodstream. It’s a major concern for us. For some reason, we are having some trouble maintaining his temperature. He seems to be coming out of it, but whatever is in his bloodstream is hurting him, and if we don't know what it is, we can't treat it.” Fluttershy stares at the paper, her ears wilting like a flower. “We just don’t want it to turn around and kill him. We could try performing more tests to find out what it is. We could send him to a better facility in Canterlot that could identify it. Or… well, we can wait it out and see if he comes out of it.” Fluttershy looks up to the nurse, then back down to the paper. “It could...” Fluttershy whispers. She looks up at the nurse, and takes a deep breath. "If you know anything about this, you should tell us, otherwise, it will take about 24 hours for his symptoms to subside," the nurse says. "We aren't sure what the long term effects might be though." Fluttershy opens her mouth to say something, but then closes it. "N-no. I'm... I'm afraid I don't know what it is." The nurse pauses for a moment, then nods. “Then, how should we continue treatment?” she asks. “He doesn’t have many bits… Let’s just wait it out,” Fluttershy says. The nurse nods. "Thank you for your help. That’s all we had." The nurse trots off down the hall as Fluttershy stands in the hall, staring at the floor. She places a hoof on the door, but pauses. She removes her hoof, then begins to walk down the hall towards the exit. A teal maned nurse trots by and stops beside Fluttershy. “Dear, is everything alright?” Fluttershy stops and raises her head. “Oh! Yes, everything’s fine! Just, lost in thought, I suppose.” Fluttershy turns in place and returns to your room, turning the handle and entering. She closes the door behind her and reclaims her seat beside you. She looks over your sickly form as you begin to shiver from the effects of the potion. Fluttershy pulls a blanket up over your chest and the shivers begin to subside. “I hope… you’ll forgive me someday,” she whispers. “It was for your own good.” You twitch and your fingers begin to flex. You grunt and your breathing begins to become heavier. You slowly open your eyes and see the patterned, tile ceiling of the hospital room. You take a deep breath then take in your surroundings, suddenly seeing your guest. Your heart is filled with warmth. A smile curls on your lips. "Am... Am I dreaming?" Fluttershy smiles, taking your hand and pressing it against her cheek. Her warm fur feels almost like fire to the touch, but your heart feels even hotter. "Not this time," she whispers. Months have passed since that big day and nobody knows the wiser of her plan. The door to Fluttershy’s cottage opens as you step inside. "I'm home, honey!" you say happily. "Welcome back, dear,” Fluttershy replies. He walks over to you and picks you up into a large hug. "Was it a hard day at work?" you ask, "Nah. A few bumps and bruises won't slow me down." Fluttershy laughs, holding you in her hooves. "How about you, Shy?" "Today was... okay." "Aww, how about I give you that special belly rub you like?" "I would love that," she says. You motion for her to lay down on your lap, and she obeys. Her fur is warm and soft, as if kissed by the sun itself. "Sweetie?" "Yeah, Shy?" "Tell me I'm a good pony." You laugh. "Shy, you are the greatest pony I've ever met, and you are everything to me." She remains silent, but looks up to your gaze. “Do you mean it?” she asks. “Of course! Why wouldn’t I?” you say. “I love you more than anything else.” Fluttershy opens her mouth to speak, but looks away. “If I told you something… would you promise not to be angry?” she asks. You look at her carefully. “Well, yeah. Of course. I couldn’t get mad at you if I tried,” you reply. Fluttershy opens her mouth, then looks you in the eyes. She brings a hoof to your cheek, and you place your hand to it, feeling her warmth against your face. “Never mind,” she says. Author's Note Day 1Author's Note This is a complete edit, rewrite of a story that I originally wrote in 2013. I hope you enjoy! Day 1 You stand 10 paces away from your enemy, your friends watching on in unblinking terror. “The loser of this fight, is sent back to Earth,” Princess Twilight says from the balcony of her castle. Taking a deep breath, you crack your knuckles and stare directly at him. “Fluttershy is mine.” The alarm screams in your ear, marking the beginning of another marshmallowy, perfect, happy-go-lucky day in Equestria. Another day of having to deal with Fluttershy. Fluttershy was a kind mare. Really, she was. But… she really, really needed to learn that you just weren’t interested in her. She’s came to your house everyday, asking you on dates, bringing you gifts, and even in weird outfits that must be sexy for ponies. You’re still trying to wrap around your head how the stockings managed to make her look even more naked than ponies are on a normal basis, but it’s probably best not to dwell on it. For awhile, her gestures were cute, even if a little bit sad. But the mare simply would not, could not, learn the definition of no. It was as if she treated you as another one of your animals in her collection and she simply knew what was best for you. Apparently, what was best for you was in-between her legs. You shake your head and roll out of bed, trying to shake the mental image out of your head. It’s best to just get all of this over with. The worst thing that could happen is that she interrupts you while you make breakfast and something gets burnt. After a quick shower and checking out your muscles in the mirror, you head downstairs to get a bowl of cereal. Well, you like to call it cereal anyway. Almost all of the ‘cereals’ are basically cold oatmeal. You’d try to diversify your breakfast choices, but muffins are downright expensive in this town for some reason. It’s the weirdest thing. Grabbing a bowl, the box of AppleOats from the cabinet, and milk from the fridge, you sit down to quickly eat before- A knock at the door captures your attention. As expected. Another day of Fluttershy’s attempts to win you over. You take a deep breath for the sudden headache that comes over you. One of these days, this is going to have to stop. This is getting detrimental to your health. You quickly down two pony-strength asprin with some milk when she knocks a second time. “Yeah, yeah. I’m coming. I’m coming.” You open the door to see the familiar yellow pegasus standing on your doormat. "Okay Fluttershy, what is it today?" "Well, um, nothing. I actually wanted to come to say I'm sorry." You stare at her in disbelief, folding your arms. "Just like last time when you tried to see if false hope was my fetish?" "Um, no?" she responds, suddenly unsure of herself. "Really? I don't believe you." "Well, um, I just realized that what I have been doing may have been wrong. I decided to say I'm sorry and see if we can just be friends." "Really?" you ask "Really." "No tricks?" "No tricks. I-I really am sorry." "I still don't believe you." She sighs and her eyes move to your doormat, seeming dejected. Fluttershy pauses as if unsure what to say. You can hear her exhale, then raise her head to you. "Well, I'm sorry to hear that Anon. I understand that I crossed a line by being blinded by love. I'll just have to live with the consequences." She slowly walks away from your house, seeming to have trouble keeping her head high. Her trot suggests that she just sustained a mortal wound. You can tell that what she just did wasn’t easy. Maybe one of her pony friends put her up to this? Who knows… maybe this isn’t like the other days. Maybe she’s truly being sincere. Maybe the days of Rube Goldberg machines to secretly hide lewd pictures of herself in your newspaper are over. If that’s the case… you can’t just let her think you’re going to hate her forever. You have to do something. "Fluttershy!" you call out to her. She turns to face you, a light behind her eyes. Her gaze focuses on you, questioningly and hopeful. "If your being serious, then just give me some time," you say. She smiles in understanding then trots away, her invisible affliction seemingly lifted. You can’t help but find a new skip in your step as you close the door. That’s it! The saga is over. No longer are you going to be objectified by Fluttershy! Maybe she’ll begin treating you like an actual person rather than one of her animals. Well, if that means she’s going to go all shy on you every time you meet… maybe that isn’t a huge improvement. Regardless, it’s at least going to set you more at ease to not be barraged at every angle for pony love. You quickly down your cereal and skip off to your job at Sweet Apple Acres. Picking apples with Applejack is some serious blue-collar work, but the pay is enough and it keeps you in shape. The day simply whizzes by with the news from this morning. You even join in with Applejack’s spontaneous apple picking songs in two part harmony. Which is saying something. You’re a terrible singer. Finally, once the sun is high in the sky, you and Applejack decide to take a break from the harvest to grab some lunch at the barn. Grabbing the wheelbarrow, you wipe the sweat from your forehead and follow the apple mare. "Jeez, Sugarcube. Ah figured y'all wouldn't be in today. Figurin’ Fluttershy was gonna break up with ya this mornin’." You couldn’t help but laugh. This was something you weren’t going to miss. The constant misconception that the whole town believes you’re a couple. "We were never a couple Applejack. I've told you this a million times," you say. "Aww, now that's the heartbreak talkin’. Why don't ya take the afternoon off. I can handle things down here fer today." A day off? What? Applejack wasn’t a work nazi by any means… but she normally doesn’t just give out free days off. You could try to correct her and assure her that you aren’t in some deep heartbreaking struggle for Fluttershy, or… "Well, thanks! I really appreciate it. See ya tomorrow!" you say, dropping the wheelbarrow and leaving Applejack to her business. You set off at a jog out of Sweet Apple Acres, a smile plastered on your face. 'First Fluttershy, now the afternoon off! Today couldn't possibly get better!' you think. ‘Now what in the world can I do with my day off?’ Heading back towards Ponyville, you can't help but wonder what brought on Fluttershy's actions. Not that it matters. Maybe you two can hang out like normal friends. She wasn't really that bad of a pony. In fact, she was kinda cute. It might be nice to actually get to know her on your own terms. Give and take. Like actual people. Ponies. Whatever. 'Maybe I should celebrate! Sugarcube Corner should have some fresh muffins right about now,’ you thought. The idea of actually having the chance to get a muffin before the lunch rush sets you off towards your destination. Once you get to the shop, you enter with the confidence of ten royal guards. "I'll take the freshest thing out of the oven, Pinkie Pie!" "If it isn’t my favorite human! We just had a chocolate cake come out. Lemme grab it." She bounces into the kitchen, and brings out a chocolate cake that would make Celestia's mouth water. "Here we go! A devil’s food three-tiered cake with milk-chocolate buttercream frosting." "Alrighty Pinkie, what's the damage?" you ask, grabbing for your wallet. Pinkie looks you over carefully, a concerned look in her eye. A bittersweet smile graces her lips as she ponders a thought. Her cheerful demeanor fades to one of compassion and sympathy. "Well. Uhm. I heard about you and Fluttershy this morning. I… I feel just awful for you." You can’t help but sigh as another one of your friends gives you completely unnecessary consolation. "Pinkie, I think this is for the best. I was getting really tired of Fluttershy and her constant attempts to win me over." She stares at you blank-eyed, not seeming to register your words. "Oookkay Anon, whatever you need to tell yourself. Just know that I'm here if you need somepony to make you smile, okay?" You can’t help but shake your head. Typical Pinkie. "Sure Pinkie, I appreciate it." "The cake is on me today. Go ahead and run home." You pick up your cake with a wide smile. "Well I don't have to go anywhere for a while, if you want company." "I don't think that's…" The entrance bell jingles. "Oh I'm just so happy you decided to let me show you around town, Anon." Wait a second… is that Fluttershy’s voice? You turn to see Fluttershy with someone you have never seen before. Wait. Someone. The sound of a breaking plate rings through the bakery. The blue floor gets a new chocolate coating, as you stare at the only other human you have seen in months. He was tall, just barely taller than you, with brown neat hair wearing a t-shirt and jeans. His eyes turn to you and he gives you a smug smile. "Oh, um. Hey guys,” Fluttershy says to you and Pinkie. “This is Anon. Anon, this is the only other human in Equestria and my friend Pinkie." "We aren't ex's. We weren't even a thing," you’re quick to interject, bitterness entering your tone. Pinkie winces and Anon continues to stare. Fluttershy frowns and grabs Anon’s hand. He holds her hoof tight. Your stomach clenches and the room is beginning to feel hotter. “Well, I'm sure we will be great friends. Humans have to stick together, right?” Anon says. “I'll be sure to hit you up after Fluttershy shows me around town.” "I can't wait," you respond. You head out of Sugarcube corner, walking through the chocolate mess that trails behind you. All the pieces are now firmly in place. She didn't want to be your friend, you were replaced. Not that it matters or anything. But, clearly it does. You’re fuming. There’s a knife sitting in your throat that make it hard to say words properly. You want to scream. You want to punch something. You feel like something was taken away from you that you could never possibly redeem. But why? You never were a fan of Fluttershy’s antics. She’s always rubbed you the wrong way. Is this just disappointment? Stewing in your thoughts, you get home in no time. You kick your door open and sit on your couch, trying to absorb the new information. "Why am I so mad?” you groan, trying to make sense of the situation. “I wanted Fluttershy gone so much and now she is!" You stand up and begin to pace your living room. "There is even a new human in Equestria. Maybe being here won't be so miserable all the time. I should have just walked right up to him. Introduced myself. Became best friends. That’s what makes sense. That’s what should happen." Your words leave a flavor of bile in your mouth. Those words couldn't be believable if you tried. You sit down on your couch again, staring at the living room floor, trying to make sense of the situation. This doesn’t make sense. None of this makes sense. In a short time, you realize you sit in a dark room and turn on some lights. Without lunch, dinner, and the thorough workout this morning you should be ravenous, but the last thing you want is food. Perhaps it would be best to eat something. You head to the fridge, open the door, and stare apatheticly at each item inside. Then, a knock at the door grabs your attention. “Who… oh,” you ask, realizing who it likely is as soon as the word leaves your mouth. You head to the door and take a moment to compose yourself. Maybe this is the chance to redeem yourself for your actions this morning. You can make a fresh start and try to be friends with this guy. Opening the door, you find Anon on the other side of the door giving you a shit-eating grin like none other that you’ve seen before. “What’s up, broseph?” he asks. His words immediately make your fists clench. "Hey. Uh. Wanna come in?" you ask, trying to relax. "Yeah, sure," he says. You step aside to let the newcomer in. "Weird place, huh? Equestria. I never imagined I'd ever find a place like this,” he says. "Yeah, I know what you mean." Those first few days were brutal when you first arrived. You can relate to him. "Everyone is really nice here though, especially that Fluttershy one. I'm sorry that things didn't work out between you two," he says with acid in his tone. Yeah, sure. "Let's not talk about that," you reply. "Sure. Lemme get to the point then. We’re busy people. I came by to see if you wanted a roommate. The mayor thought you might be interested." Your chest becomes tight and it's harder not to curse at him. "Sorry, I've always been the solitary type. Find your own place." A smile grows on Anon’s face as he folds his arms. "She said you might say that." "The mayor?" "Nope, which is why I'm staying at Fluttershy's place tonight." "I see. Well, I'd hate to make you late. Why don't I show you the way out, Anon." You probably put too much emphasis on the last word. "I getcha, I getcha. Well then." He leaves the house, but stops halfway out the door, and puts on a devilish voice. "Wish me luck, bro." He slams the door on the way out. "Douchebag." You lay down on your couch, fuming at everything that has happened today. Wasn't this what you always wanted? To get Fluttershy off your back? Shouldn't you be happy for her that she found someone interested in her as well? Too tired to think, you fall asleep.
Day 2You open your eyes, feeling the daze of sleep still clinging tightly to your eyes. That’s weird. Your alarm isn’t going off. You actually managed to get some decent rest and wake up before your alarm for once. You smile and decide the best way to relish this moment would be to roll over and enjoy a few extra minutes of rest. You roll over and promptly fall on the ground. Your eyes shoot open and take in your surroundings. You’re in your living room. Not your bed. Shit. What time is it? Taking a step, you feel the numb, prickly feeling of your leg being asleep. Still, you charge your way into the kitchen and check the clock. 9am. You’re two hours late for work. “Shit, shit, SHIT!” you groan, as you throw on your shoes and burst through the door to your home. You decide it’s best to head straight to Sweet Apple Acres, ignoring breakfast. Not that you’d want it anyway, you feel quite full. Hell, if you’re lucky, you won’t even run into Fluttershy on the way there. “Oh, right,” you say to yourself. “Fluttershy dumped me.” Wait. The fuck are you saying. You two weren't a thing. You two were NEVER a thing. Yet, as you turn back to look at the entrance of your home, a part of you feels empty. You sigh and shake your head. It’s just another thing to get used to. Your jog turns into a walk as you decide that there’s not much sense in rushing. You’re already late. Being even later isn’t going to make things worse. Shoving your hands into your pockets, you watch the ground and kick whatever stones you find in your path. Fluttershy seems to be plaguing your thoughts, or at least what little good memories you had of her plague your thoughts. Like the time she sent you a bowl of soup when you were sick. Or when she thought giving you a cat would make you happier. Except, you were allergic to cats. That didn’t turn out well. Maybe… Maybe you shouldn't have been so hard on her yesterday. Pushing the thought away, you enter the Apple's farm. Maybe after work you should try to make things better with Fluttershy. At very least, it could try to ease your troubled mind. But for now, it’s time to work. A hard day will be able to get your mind off of your situation for a little while. "Great job, Anon! Let's grab the next field." Wait. What. "Thanks, AJ. This job is a piece of cake! I'm just happy you can help me earn some bits." "No problem, partner. That’s what friends are for." What the hell is that guy doing here? Doing your job? "Hey Applejack. Anon." You refuse to look at the only other human in this world. "Bout time ya showed up, sleepy head! Thank goodness ah got Anon here to help pick up the slack." "My bad. I had a rough night," you reply. "That's a shame, cause my night was great. Didn't get too much sleep, though," Anon interjects. Applejack casts Anon a glare while you refuse to let him have the satisfaction of a reaction. "Why don't we just get to work?" you ask. Normally the hard work gets you a good workout and helps you focus, but today your head isn't in the game. By the time you clean out one tree, Anon completes two. You groan to yourself and feel your blood boil. How dare he? "You know… You are going to tire yourself out if you keep that pace," you say to him snidely. "You kiddin me? I'm on easy mode." And then, he proved it. A monkey couldn't swing from branch to branch faster than his speed. He cleans out a tree almost as fast as Applejack bucks a fresh one. Hours pass. At the end of the day you’re exhausted, hungry, and beat. You hardily reached your normal apple harvest cap. Meanwhile, Anon hasn't even broke a sweat. "Well boys, payday! Come'ere Anon, I'll give you a bit of an advance so you can get started." Advance? AJ never gave you an advance in order to get your life on track. You had to do it through your own blood, sweat, and tears. "Thanks Applejack, see you tomorrow! Can't keep Shy waiting!" Anon says. He shoots a wink towards you. You make a fist. Daring him to start something. "Hey, uh. I think we need to talk," Applejack says to you as Anon jogs away. "Well, uh, okay Applejack. Whats up?" "It's about your performance the last few days. You aren't workin’ at your normal pace," she says. "Well. Uh. I’m Sorry, Applejack, I've just had a lot on my mind lately. I'll pick up the pace. I promise." A lot is an overstatement. The only thing on your mind right now is Fluttershy and making amends. And that jerk. "Well, here's the problem, partner. I can't keep two workers fer forever." You lose your breath for a second. "Ah know you've been here a long time, but ah need you to pull yourself together now,” she says bluntly, but honestly. You nod. This is it. "I'm gonna keep your pay for today, but that's because tomorrow is your last shot. Y'all decide if it's yer last paycheck. Ah hope it won't be." Anon is slowly trying to take everything dear to you. He tried to take your home. Now your job… maybe even your friends. You won't let him. "I understand, Applejack. I'll be on my A-game tomorrow." "That’s the spirit," she says with a smile. You head back towards Ponyville, thinking out a plan for how to make amends with Fluttershy and keep your job. Maybe Twilight would have some good advice? Probably not. She is too busy trying to learn and experiment with her new princess powers. There is always taking to Pinkie again. Plus you should probably apologize about the cake yesterday. But then again, you would hate to bother her with all of your troubles. Rainbow Dash is at the Wonderbolt Academy this week, so that's out of the question. Which leaves, Rarity. You could go to her shop to get fitted with a new outfit, and ask for advice in the process. It seems like a good idea. But then again, she does love to pass around rumors. Could you really trust her? Do you really have a choice? The Boutique it is. Once you reach the front door of the infamous Carousel Boutique, you pause to notice the closed sign hanging from the window. Sure enough, when you try to turn the knob, the door is locked tight. Maybe… Maybe it’s best to just go home. No. You’ve came too far to stop now. You give the door three hard knocks. "We're closed for today!" calls the familiar voice of Rarity on the other side. "Even for a friend?" you call back. The door opens revealing the element of generosity with a wide smile. "Oh! Of course! Come in. Come in! So good to see you! What can I do for you? You so rarely visit, I'm guessing you need new clothes?" she says. You step inside, gazing around at the various outfits hanging from mannequins for display. Rarity closes and locks the door behind you as you turn to her. "Yeah if you don't mind, but I got something else I'd like to talk to you about too." Rarity trots over to a bench and begins to grab various pieces of black clothing for a suit. "Oh? Do tell. Do tell. Oh! I had this most magnificent idea for an outfit for you today. I've been experimenting with leather and denim and winter is coming up, so I thought I-" "It's about Fluttershy." Rarity becomes quiet, and continues to grab more materials from her workroom. Maybe this wasn't a good idea. The whole store is quiet as you wait for her response. She re-enters the main room and begins drawing her ideas. "Go on,” she says simply. It’s hard to get any sort of beat on what she’s thinking. Perhaps she’s just focused into her work? Or is she mad? "Well. I'm assuming that you heard about what happened yesterday," you start. "Which part? You must be more specific. Could you get on the fitting platform? I'm almost done sketching this out," she says flatly. You step onto the platform as she asked. You feel your gut begin to clench. Maybe coming here wasn’t such a good idea after all. "Well, about Fluttershy... losing interest in me." "You mean breaking up with you," she corrects you quickly. There’s no point in fighting the story anymore. "Yes." "Then you admit it." "Yes. Fine. We broke up." "Good. That's the first step to recovery," she says flatly. These fucking ponies. Whatever. Just play along. "Well. I'm wondering if I should talk to her and try and make things better." Suddenly a roll of denim, under Rarity's magic, wraps around your legs and begins to form a new pair of jeans. "Why do you want to do that?" "I've just been thinking and, well, maybe I was a little hard on her. I could have been better to her." "Now are you doing this because she broke up with you, or because she is hanging around with Anon?" Ouch. Rarity knew all the right questions. "Shirt off please?" she asks. "Sure." You take off your shirt to show off your muscled physique. Rarity blushes. “This will just take a second,” she says. A roll of cotton wraps around your arms and midsection, magically sewing a new t-shirt. "Well?" she asks, waiting for your answer. You shake your head and sigh. "A little of both honestly. I miss her being around all the time. I feel like I lost a good friend." What the hell are you saying? Do you remember when she replaced all of your toilet paper with love letters? Remember when she assured you that you shouldn’t live anywhere than her petting zoo of a home, since you’re an animal in their world? Remember how she would still come to see you every day? Remember when she gave you that hug the first day that you came to Equestria? When you needed the moral support the most? Remember how she always cared for you? Even when you got hurt? It was always her that took you to the hospital. "Are you sure you aren't just jealous?" Rarity asks. "No! I'm not just jealous, Rarity." "It sounds to me like you might be jealous." She wraps black leather around you, fitting for a leather jacket. "This jacket is going to take a while to get done, since I haven't done one of these for a human. It'll be ready tomorrow morning." "I'm not jealous." "If you aren't jealous, then go talk things through with Fluttershy, but if you are, stay away." "Fine. Thanks." "I mean it,” she says firmly, a bleeding edge to her words. She stares bullets at you, and her once gentle voice now becomes hard and serious. "I haven't seen Fluttershy this happy before. I don't want you to go breaking her heart or ruining her chances with Anon." Ouch. "At least he actually loves her." "Who said I didn't love her." "You did. All the time. Every day. And just a few moments ago." The words burn on the inside. Maybe she really did listen to you. “Well, I didn’t love her,” you say. Rarity shakes her head and turns away from you. "It tore me up to listen to her cry. Every time about you not loving her as she did for you. I won't allow you to do that to her again." "Then I'm going to go set things straight," you say. "Remember my words." Silence falls over the store as you realize she’s finished speaking with you. You take careful steps to the door as she calls after you. “Your jacket will be ready at 7am.” You pause, hand on the door, and turn back to her. "Thanks, Rarity." "I didn't do a thing." You open the door, hearing the entrance bell jingle. "I know." The door closes behind you as you set off at a jog towards Fluttershy's Cottage. What are you going to say when you get there? What could you possibly say that could make things better after all of the heartache you’ve caused her? You that will have to be figured out based on how she reacts. All that matters is setting things right. When you approach the cottage the lights are on and the moon is starting to rise in the night sky. Chances are, he’s probably there… but you’ll just have to tough through it. Maybe if you can just make things with Fluttershy, your mind will stop guilt tripping you so badly. That has to be it. It has to be that your conscious is on overdrive. You approach the door but stop, wondering if it might just be smarter to go back now. If you do, it could prevent some sort of confrontation or making things worse. On the other hand, you might be asking yourself ‘What If’ for the rest of your life in Equestria if you don’t try and do something. ‘No fucking way am I backing down now.’ You knock on the door and it immediately swings open to reveal an excited Fluttershy. Your heart skips a beat. "Oh thank goodness you are back, Anon! I was beginning to get worried and-" She cuts off her words when she sees your face. "Oh, um. Hey. Was there something you needed? Otherwise it's late... um... if you don't mind." Your happy energy and confidence drain from you like a cracked coffee mug. "Yeah, um, I wanted to talk to you about something." Her expression becomes exasperated and her tone heats up. "About what? I'm sorry. I thought you were the one that said they needed time." You take a step back. This was an assertive side of Fluttershy you haven’t seen before. Had you really been that awful to her? Maybe it’s best to take this very, very carefully. "I just. I feel like I'm the one that should apologize. I never really treated you right. You were so kind to me and only wanted to make me happy. She stares at you expecting more. "... but I was an asshole. I kicked you off my doorstep, threw you out windows, made you face some of your worst fears-” "Humiliated myself." ".. yes, and humiliate yourself." "Get to the point,” she says flatly. She’s clearly not having it. Maybe this was a waste of time. It’s now or never. "I just wanted to say I'm sorry and see if there was anyway we could return to normal?" Her face begins to become pink. And pinker... and pinker. Oh wait. That might be the darkness playing tricks on you. That’s red. "How dare you." You take a step back, feeling the chill in the air steep into your soul. "How dare you!" She flies in the air above you. "I work hard for months to try and make you love me the way I loved you, and now when I finally found the special somepony of my dreams, you think you can walk over here on two legs and ask for me back!" Time seems to freeze. "How DARE you not think about what I may want. How DARE you ask for me back after everything I've done for you." Guilt rises from your stomach to the back of your throat, destroying your ability to talk. "Lastly.... How... How dare you..." Then Fluttershy sniffs, and her wings faulter. She falls to the ground on all four of her hooves and advances towards you. Guilt turns to self-loathing as she fights losing her composure. A losing fight, as tears form in the corners of her eyes. "How dare you play with my emotions that way. Rarity had me convinced that you would never love me. I still tried so hard for you. I tried. SO. HARD." You open your mouth, but words don't come. "Now you come here, and play with my emotions like they are a filly's plaything! Even when I have somepony who really loves me." She has nearly broken down into tears, she lands on the ground back inside the cottage. "Well I'll put this in words I'm sure you will understand." She stares directly into your soul. For the first time, you see the deep gentle person deep inside her. The person you loved. The person you destroyed. "We were never a thing." The door slams in your face, and crushes all reality around you. Only one other sound fills the space around you. Fluttershy's deep sobs, which travel deeper into her house, until they are gone. Only silence envelops you, the landscape only lit by the pale full moon. You fall to you knees. "Great job, Asshole,” says a crass voice. You turn around to see him. "Now I'm probably not getting any tonight." Your numbness turns into fire, burning all of your senses. Thoughts and words become automatic as you rise to your feet, fists drawn. "You know what. Fuck you. If you really cared, you would be inside taking care of her right now." "You’re right, and I'm right here. What do you think that means?" "Fuck you." "No thanks, but I'm sure I can tell you how I fucked her." "That is it." You launch a fist towards him, but he steps aside. "Hey buddy, you missed your chance. Now, it's my turn." You charge towards him, fists extended, ready to destroy him. A purple barrier separates the two of you. "WHAT THE FUCK?!" you scream. "Thank you for your tip, Rarity," a voice says as two sets of hooves approch you. "No problem, Twilight. I'm going to head inside and see how she is doing." No longer shrouded by night, Princess Twilight and Rarity emerge from the darkness. "As for you two. I can't have you hurting each other. At least not this way," Twilight says. You stare at the only pony keeping you from attacking your enemy. "Go on," you reply. "I understand that you two are fighting to have the same job, same marefriend, and even the same residence from the mayor." "Oh yeah, about that. You didn’t know, did you? Did you get your eviction notice?" he sneers at you. You pound as hard as you can against Twilight's purple barrier, but it only hurts your hand. "There’s rules for this, from old Equestria. Old duels of honor. I can allow you two to fight only on one condition." You stare at her. If looks could kill, she would be on fire. "The loser must be subject to my new teleportation spell. It should return the them to Earth. I think it’ll be more… well, humane than the death penalty," Twilight says Your answer is pure reflex. "I'm in." You look to your opponent with murder in your eyes. "I accept the challenge," Anon says. "Fair enough. I will see you two at 7:30am outside the library. Now go home. Neither of you try anything funny." You walk home. Never so determined about something in your life. You will fight. You will win. Kicking down the door to your home, you run upstairs, slam the window shut, and collapse into bed. Falling asleep will be no easy task, but you need to strength for tomorrow. Tomorrow will be a huge day. Maybe you can even win her back.
Day 3“Everything’s going to be fine, darling. Just you wait,” Rarity says, closing the door behind her. Fluttershy sighs and shakes her head, dabbing her eyes with a handkerchief. “There. Now all-” The door to Fluttershy’s cottage creaks open and Twilight steps inside. “Hey, Fluttershy,” she says softly. “How are you holding up.” The pegasus looks away from Twilight and looks to the floor, sniffing her nose. “The best I can, I suppose. Did he...” “Yes… things got a little… rough.” Fluttershy shakes her head and turns back to Twilight. “Where’s… Anon?” “I thought I would have him stay at my place for the evening. Just to be sure he’s safe.” Fluttershy walks to the window and peers out at the night sky, thinking to herself. "I just hope Anon didn’t say anything too mean." Twilight tilted her head, studying the features of her friend for any hint to what was on her mind. "Anon said what he needed to. I heard it all. The duel tomorrow should be-" A silence falls over the room as Twilight chooses not to complete her sentence. Fluttershy’s gaze falters as Angel Bunny hops to one of her hooves and places a paw on her. The pegasus looks down to her pet, then to the princess. "I don't know if I want this, Twilight." Twilight remains silent, closing the gap between the two of them. "I just... I just don't want either of them to get hurt. Especially him...” “You mean Anon?” Twilight asks. Fluttershy looks to Twilight and remains silent. Suddenly, the Princess begins to see what’s truly on her friends mind. "You should have seen him out there tonight. He was defending you. Anon was… being kind of a jerk. He almost knocked down my barrier. I think he will be fine." Fluttershy nods, then wraps her hooves around her friend. Twilight pulls her close. “Don’t worry. Nothing bad is going to happen tomorrow, I promise,” Twilight says. “Get some rest. I’ll see you tomorrow.” Fluttershy nods, then breaks her embrace. “Is there anything I can get you?” Twilight asks. “No, I think I’ll be fine. Thanks, Twilight,” Fluttershy says. Twilight nods, then moves to the door. With a quick goodbye, she’s out the door. Fluttershy makes her way upstairs to her bedroom. She checks her alarm, then looks back to the door. She climbs under the covers and lays in bed, looking to where Anon laid last night. “It’s still not him,” she mutters under her breath. “It’s not the same.” She rolls over in bed, closing her eyes tightly. The blaring alarm is immediately silenced. It reads 2:30 am. A figure rises from their bed in the dark. Tired and groggy, they make their way hastily towards the bathroom. The light turns on to reveal the frazzled mane and bloodshot eyes of the mare, Fluttershy. “I’m running out of time,” she mutters under her breath. "My goodness, my mane is a mess. I have to look my very best." Fluttershy turns to the shower and turns on the burning hot water, filling the room with steam. She relished in the warmth that graced her fur, letting memories and all of her work that build up to this point wash off of her like suds in the shower. ~ ~ ~ “Oh dear,” Rarity says, “You simply must ditch that human, he’s simply more trouble than he’s worth.” “I know,” you say, taking a sip from your cup of tea. “But… I love him… and I’d do anything to make him mine.” “He’s physically hurting you. There’s one thing when it’s Pinkie’s comedy, but you can’t just toss a mare off of a roof.” “Well, I mean. I have wings.” “Fluttershy, that’s not the point. I’ve been in bad relationships. I’ve concealed a bruise before. That human is bad news. ~ ~ ~ “Do you mind if I bring Anon by to show him Sugarcube Corner?” she asks Pinkie. Pinkie looked at her over the counter of sweets in the bakery. “Fluttershy, don’t get me wrong. I’m really happy for you. Really, I am… but I’m really nervous about hurting… well you know who’s feelings. Maybe it’s not the best idea. Everyone should be happy. I wouldn’t do anything to hurt anyone.” ~ ~ ~ “Hey, Twilight… Do you have a minute?” Fluttershy asks, stepping inside the Golden Oaks Library. “Sure thing! I just got done reading that romance novel you loaned me last night. It was fantastic! The way he fights to win her heart at the end was so wonderful. So romantic.” “Well, um. That’s… not quite why I came. You can keep the book.” “Really? Wow, thank you. I appreciate it. Well, what’s wrong?” “Well… see, it’s about. Uhm. you know who.” Fluttershy says quietly. Twilight gives Fluttershy a curious look, then motions for her to sit down. “Is everything okay? You generally seem so happy with him. If, well, a bit frustrated.” “Well. No. I just. I just don’t feel very appreciated… I don’t know what to do.” Twilight remains silent, then an idea springs to her head. “You know, I have an idea. It will be so exciting! Just you wait. It's like we're writing our own little love story!" ~ ~ ~ Fluttershy snickers to herself as she shuts off the water. “She even thought it was her idea,” she mutters under her breath. “Though, I admit her clone spell was a very nice touch.” Fluttershy looks at herself carefully in the mirror. Taking her make up, she carefully tries to cover up days of built up dark circles under her eyes. Her eyes are heavy, but her resolve is stronger as she sets the make up aside. Wrapping her mane in a towel, she trots downstairs with a smile on her face. “But, my touch is a little better, if I do say so myself.” Fluttershy walks into her kitchen and quickly moves to a set of cabinets just beside her back door. She moves aside several heavy bags of animal feed away from the bottom drawer and unbolts the lock on it. She crouches down, opens the drawer, and pulls out a bottle of pink liquid, leaving two identical empty bottles inside. “There’s still plenty of time,” Fluttershy whispers to herself as she trots towards your home. “I paid too many bits for these to go bad, or to miss my time.” She pulls the bottle out of the bag and looks over it carefully, reading the label again. ‘Give dose every 24 hours for three days. After third day, love potion will take full effect. Side effects such as irrational behavior and judgment, loss of appetite, and severe chills… Only works if drinker has some existing feelings for intended lover.’ “I just hope nopony sees me… or I don’t wake him up...” Fluttershy whispers as she approaches your home. She trots to one of your windows, then pushes hard on the bottom. “Shoot… it was unlocked yesterday...” Fluttershy takes a few steps back and looks over each door and window. She moves to the front door and jiggles the handle. “Locked...” She trots around the back and tries the same to the back door with no avail. Fluttershy groans, but remains resolute. She looks up to your bedroom window and nods. Placing the potion in her mouth, she extends her wings and takes to the sky. She quietly flutters to your window and slides open the bottom half. She slips inside and places her hooves on the bedroom floor. One step at a time, she moves closer to your beside as you sleep soundly. Her shadow from the moon hangs menacingly over the covers and she smiles as she approaches the bed. You’re curled into the fetal position, trying to keep yourself warm under the covers. She pauses, then looks towards the window for a moment, before turning back to you. “This is for your own good...” she says, feeling your pain as if it were her own. Fluttershy sets the bottle down on your bedside table, then covers you in your blankets. She places a hoof against your forehead to check for a fever. Your skin is hot and clammy to her touch. "Wha?" you mutter in a groggy haze. "Fluttershy?" "Yes, Anon?" she quietly responds. "What are you doing here?" you ask. "You are dreaming, Sweetie. Go back to sleep," she whispers. She cradles your face in her hoof. You shiver and pull the covers close, eyes shut. "I don't want to. I don't want to lose you again," you groan and mutter as sleep tries to reclaim you. "I can't lose the fight tomorrow." Fluttershy smiles, a tear forming in her eye as she takes the potion in a hoof. "Here sweetie, drink this, it will make you strong,” she says, like a mother offering milk to her kin. She uncorks the bottle and pours it down your throat, one drop at a time. "You are going to be fantastic. I know you will," she says gently. You gulp down the last bit and lose yourself to the waves of the night. The tear runs down Fluttershy’s face as she finally takes what she always wanted. "I love you." Your eyes shoot open, feeling refreshed and renewed. Like a whole new person. It’s amazing what a good night’s sleep can do for a person. You probably could have done without all the nightmares though. Most of the night it was nightmares about losing Fluttershy, and being sent back home. In pieces. You thought going home was what you always wanted, but now it just feels different. You could never imagine going home now. The weirdest part, was right at the end, Fluttershy was there to tell you she loved you, and to give you strength. You felt stronger. You can do anything. And now, you had to fight for what you wanted. You cleaned yourself up quickly, speeding through your morning routine and stepping out of your home without a bite to eat. One could say you needed your energy, but more important was staying light on your feet. You could afford to think of eating anyway. All that matters is one thing. Beating the shit out of Anon. As you leave your house, you refuse to take a look back. You know that you will see it again. You have to believe that. Making your way into Ponyville, you catch sight of Pinkie Pie opening up Sugarcube Corner. "Hey, Pinkie." She freezes at the sound of your voice. "Hey," she responds. You've never actually seen or heard Pinkie Pie feeling sad, but this was definitely it. "You heard?" "Yeah," she says, trying her best to hold herself together. “I… I don’t want you to go.” "Pinkie, I'm not going anywhere." She nods and leaves the shop still locked to follow you. You two cross Carousel Boutique at about 7am. Rarity stands outside, holding a sturdy leather jacket. Silently, she falls in step with the two of you as she lifts the jacket to you with her magic. Putting it on, you manage to fend off the morning chill and warm yourself. "How do I look?" "Simply marvelous," she says. An awkward tension fills the air. Nothing more needs to be said. The mares follow you in silence. As you approach the library, Fluttershy is standing outside. Guilt sweeps over you for everything you said last night. You decide maybe it's better if you leave her alone for now. "Anon... could you... um... come here for a minute?" she asks. For the first time in a while, you feel warm inside. As you head towards her, you can't help but notice her true beauty. Her teal eyes looked so warm and inviting, and her hair gently blew with the wind. She was a goddess among ponies. You get down on one knee so you don't look down on her. "Yeah?" you ask. "Um... I just wanted to say that I'm sorry for what I did last night," she says "It's okay, I was the one out of line," you reply. Those words felt weird coming out of your mouth. They didn't really feel wrong though. "No, it was me. I just hope that, maybe after this fight... um. I-If you are still... here-" she stutters. She looked down at the ground with tears in her eyes. Instinctively you wrapped her in your arms. "I'm not going anywhere, Shy?" When did you start calling her Shy? Well, there was your dreams of course, but that was different. "Anon... you don't have to do this," she mutters. You look into her eyes, and she looks deep into you. For the first time, you feel like you see the mare for who she really is, a kind and gentle pony. The mare that the whole town knew couldn’t hurt a fly. The kindest pegasus you know. "This isn't just about us anymore, Shy. This is about standing up for myself." Fluttershy stops to say something, but holds herself back. "Just... do your best Anon. For me." She reaches up and you feel her lips press against your cheek. The first of many to come. "I promise." The door to the library opens. Anon steps outside with a smug look on his face, arms folded. "I didn't take you to be the early type," Anon says. "There is a lot you don't know about me." "Oh, like what? How you never even liked Fluttershy until I came along?" "That's not true." You take a moment to gather your surroundings. Twilight and Spike stood on the balcony of the library, watching from above. Fluttershy and the other two mares watched from a distance. "Suuure, champ. Everyone shows their feelings with violence and insults. You could have killed her you know. I bet you wouldn't have even cared," he says. "Things were different. I made mistakes and I will make them right. Unlike you. You don't even care for her." "So what? All I have to do is beat you, right now, and I might even have time to get to work early. Then I'll get all the tail I want." Magma fills your veins as you clench your fists. This wasn't about just beating him anymore. How dare he? "Gentlemen? Do you accept this duel?" Twilight calls from a balcony the Golden Oaks Library. "Yes," you respond. "Damn right." You stand 10 paces away from your enemy, your friends watching on in unblinking terror. “The loser of this fight, is sent back to Earth,” Princess Twilight says from the balcony of her castle. Taking a deep breath, you crack your knuckles and stare directly at him. “Fluttershy is mine.” You immediately charge at Anon with a strong left locked and ready. He strafes to the left, deftly dodging your attack. He's faster than you remember from yesterday. Jumping back, you narrowly miss a kidney punch. Trying to react quickly, you send a strong uppercut towards his jaw. This hit connects, and aim a follow-up to the solar-plexus. He grabs your arm and puts you in an arm lock. Stomping his foot, you use your free arm to elbow him and get your arm free. Taking a step back to get your bearings, his fist is flying towards your eyes. The fist hits so hard that you lose your balance and fall to the ground. Rolling to the left, glimpse a foot just missing your face. You hop up and wipe the blood off your eyes. You don't even feel where it's coming from. He doesn't even look phased. This is bad. That was almost the best that you had. Playing the defensive, you try to wear out Anon by letting him attack you. He hits a few times, but no major hits are slowing you down. His speed is what is wearing you down the most. You can't keep up with him. Capitalizing on a dodged left swing, you deliver another uppercut directly to his chin, and deliver a strong blow to his gut. He falls over, but quickly recovers. There is no stopping this guy. He charges towards you with another strong right hook prepared. This is going to be your only chance. Crouching down, you prepare for a strong jab to his diaphragm. If you hit, you should have enough time to get a head lock on him. When he is about two feet away, you put everything you have into one strong punch. Your face burns and blood begins to fill your mouth, as you feel the imprint of his fist on your cheek. You fist feels like it is digging into his body. He falls to his knees, trying to catch his breath. You wrap your arm around his neck. "Just a little bit of force, and it's all over! Give me one good reason not to!" Twilight gasps. You spit out the blood in your mouth, and Anon begins to laugh. "Is this what you really want?" "The FUCK did you say to me?" "Is this what you really want? If so, then do it." Every ounce of hatred that is coursing through your veins tell you to do it. Kill him now. He hurt your Shy. Your stomach becomes rock hard, and you begin to feel sick. Something tells you that killing him will make you feel better. Kill him. Fluttershy wants you to. You deserve to kill him after everything he did. "ANON! DON'T!" Fluttershy screams out. You push him down into the dirt. "Stay there." He coughs out some blood, but remains motionless. You look to Twilight with a determined look on your face. "I win." She nods to you, and Anon begins to disappear from Equestria, leaving nothing but a small bloodstain in his wake. Exhausted, you kneel down on the ground. Which turns into falling over. Your body must still be in adrenaline mode, because you know that you hurt, you just can't tell where. The sound of hooves galloping towards you signals the approach of Fluttershy, Rarity and Pinkie. Fluttershy is on top of you in seconds. "Are you okay? We need to get you to the Hospital right away," Fluttershy says. "No, I'm fine," you reply. "No way! You need to be examined right away, there is blood everywhere." "No really, I think-" A massive wave of tiredness overtakes you. He must have really messed you up. You close your eyes and find that breathing is hard. "Twilight! Hurry! Get help!" Fluttershy places her hoof on your hand, but you do not respond. The gentle beep of the EKG machine fills the white, sterile room as Fluttershy watches your expression for any sign of change. Dark circles weigh like anvils under her eyes as she tries to keep herself away for a second straight day. She checks the door to your hospital room, in some hope that the next passing nurse would be the one stopping in your room. She closes her eyes, and lays her head upon your chest. “This is all my fault...” she mutters. The sign on the wall had “Critical, yet Stable” in red dry-erase marker. Just in case it needed to be changed. The list of symptoms including chills, abnormal bruising, a broken rib, some internal bleeding is listed underneath. The doctors are searching for any reason why you aren’t waking up yet. “I’d take it all back… if you’d just wake up,” she whispers, eyes too ran out of tears to cry. A gentle knock on the room door catches Fluttershy’s attention. "Miss Fluttershy?" a pink haired nurse asks. She raises her head and looks to the professional. "Y-Yes?" "Could we speak with you for a moment?" "Of course." Fluttershy looks over your unconscious form, closes her eyes, then follows the nurse out into the hallway. She closes the door then gives Fluttershy a stern look. She flips a few pages on her clip book before she decides to say something. "We can release him once he wakes up. He just needs someone to take care of him once he’s out of the hospital." "T-That’s good. I'm sure he will be happy to hear that," Fluttershy says. "Do you intend to be watching him while he recovers?" Fluttershy’s expression flickers between a light smile, then back to a stoic expression. “Only if he wants me to be.” The nurse marks a few extra check marks on her clipboard then nods. "There is just one last question," she says. "Yes?" Fluttershy asks. "Do you know anything about this?" The nurse unclasps a piece of paper from her clipboard and hands it to the yellow pegasus. “This is the results of a few blood tests we ran on him. We found some… unknown substance in almost 20% of his bloodstream. It’s a major concern for us. For some reason, we are having some trouble maintaining his temperature. He seems to be coming out of it, but whatever is in his bloodstream is hurting him, and if we don't know what it is, we can't treat it.” Fluttershy stares at the paper, her ears wilting like a flower. “We just don’t want it to turn around and kill him. We could try performing more tests to find out what it is. We could send him to a better facility in Canterlot that could identify it. Or… well, we can wait it out and see if he comes out of it.” Fluttershy looks up to the nurse, then back down to the paper. “It could...” Fluttershy whispers. She looks up at the nurse, and takes a deep breath. "If you know anything about this, you should tell us, otherwise, it will take about 24 hours for his symptoms to subside," the nurse says. "We aren't sure what the long term effects might be though." Fluttershy opens her mouth to say something, but then closes it. "N-no. I'm... I'm afraid I don't know what it is." The nurse pauses for a moment, then nods. “Then, how should we continue treatment?” she asks. “He doesn’t have many bits… Let’s just wait it out,” Fluttershy says. The nurse nods. "Thank you for your help. That’s all we had." The nurse trots off down the hall as Fluttershy stands in the hall, staring at the floor. She places a hoof on the door, but pauses. She removes her hoof, then begins to walk down the hall towards the exit. A teal maned nurse trots by and stops beside Fluttershy. “Dear, is everything alright?” Fluttershy stops and raises her head. “Oh! Yes, everything’s fine! Just, lost in thought, I suppose.” Fluttershy turns in place and returns to your room, turning the handle and entering. She closes the door behind her and reclaims her seat beside you. She looks over your sickly form as you begin to shiver from the effects of the potion. Fluttershy pulls a blanket up over your chest and the shivers begin to subside. “I hope… you’ll forgive me someday,” she whispers. “It was for your own good.” You twitch and your fingers begin to flex. You grunt and your breathing begins to become heavier. You slowly open your eyes and see the patterned, tile ceiling of the hospital room. You take a deep breath then take in your surroundings, suddenly seeing your guest. Your heart is filled with warmth. A smile curls on your lips. "Am... Am I dreaming?" Fluttershy smiles, taking your hand and pressing it against her cheek. Her warm fur feels almost like fire to the touch, but your heart feels even hotter. "Not this time," she whispers. Months have passed since that big day and nobody knows the wiser of her plan. The door to Fluttershy’s cottage opens as you step inside. "I'm home, honey!" you say happily. "Welcome back, dear,” Fluttershy replies. He walks over to you and picks you up into a large hug. "Was it a hard day at work?" you ask, "Nah. A few bumps and bruises won't slow me down." Fluttershy laughs, holding you in her hooves. "How about you, Shy?" "Today was... okay." "Aww, how about I give you that special belly rub you like?" "I would love that," she says. You motion for her to lay down on your lap, and she obeys. Her fur is warm and soft, as if kissed by the sun itself. "Sweetie?" "Yeah, Shy?" "Tell me I'm a good pony." You laugh. "Shy, you are the greatest pony I've ever met, and you are everything to me." She remains silent, but looks up to your gaze. “Do you mean it?” she asks. “Of course! Why wouldn’t I?” you say. “I love you more than anything else.” Fluttershy opens her mouth to speak, but looks away. “If I told you something… would you promise not to be angry?” she asks. You look at her carefully. “Well, yeah. Of course. I couldn’t get mad at you if I tried,” you reply. Fluttershy opens her mouth, then looks you in the eyes. She brings a hoof to your cheek, and you place your hand to it, feeling her warmth against your face. “Never mind,” she says. Author's Note
Day 1Author's Note This is a complete edit, rewrite of a story that I originally wrote in 2013. I hope you enjoy! Day 1 You stand 10 paces away from your enemy, your friends watching on in unblinking terror. “The loser of this fight, is sent back to Earth,” Princess Twilight says from the balcony of her castle. Taking a deep breath, you crack your knuckles and stare directly at him. “Fluttershy is mine.” The alarm screams in your ear, marking the beginning of another marshmallowy, perfect, happy-go-lucky day in Equestria. Another day of having to deal with Fluttershy. Fluttershy was a kind mare. Really, she was. But… she really, really needed to learn that you just weren’t interested in her. She’s came to your house everyday, asking you on dates, bringing you gifts, and even in weird outfits that must be sexy for ponies. You’re still trying to wrap around your head how the stockings managed to make her look even more naked than ponies are on a normal basis, but it’s probably best not to dwell on it. For awhile, her gestures were cute, even if a little bit sad. But the mare simply would not, could not, learn the definition of no. It was as if she treated you as another one of your animals in her collection and she simply knew what was best for you. Apparently, what was best for you was in-between her legs. You shake your head and roll out of bed, trying to shake the mental image out of your head. It’s best to just get all of this over with. The worst thing that could happen is that she interrupts you while you make breakfast and something gets burnt. After a quick shower and checking out your muscles in the mirror, you head downstairs to get a bowl of cereal. Well, you like to call it cereal anyway. Almost all of the ‘cereals’ are basically cold oatmeal. You’d try to diversify your breakfast choices, but muffins are downright expensive in this town for some reason. It’s the weirdest thing. Grabbing a bowl, the box of AppleOats from the cabinet, and milk from the fridge, you sit down to quickly eat before- A knock at the door captures your attention. As expected. Another day of Fluttershy’s attempts to win you over. You take a deep breath for the sudden headache that comes over you. One of these days, this is going to have to stop. This is getting detrimental to your health. You quickly down two pony-strength asprin with some milk when she knocks a second time. “Yeah, yeah. I’m coming. I’m coming.” You open the door to see the familiar yellow pegasus standing on your doormat. "Okay Fluttershy, what is it today?" "Well, um, nothing. I actually wanted to come to say I'm sorry." You stare at her in disbelief, folding your arms. "Just like last time when you tried to see if false hope was my fetish?" "Um, no?" she responds, suddenly unsure of herself. "Really? I don't believe you." "Well, um, I just realized that what I have been doing may have been wrong. I decided to say I'm sorry and see if we can just be friends." "Really?" you ask "Really." "No tricks?" "No tricks. I-I really am sorry." "I still don't believe you." She sighs and her eyes move to your doormat, seeming dejected. Fluttershy pauses as if unsure what to say. You can hear her exhale, then raise her head to you. "Well, I'm sorry to hear that Anon. I understand that I crossed a line by being blinded by love. I'll just have to live with the consequences." She slowly walks away from your house, seeming to have trouble keeping her head high. Her trot suggests that she just sustained a mortal wound. You can tell that what she just did wasn’t easy. Maybe one of her pony friends put her up to this? Who knows… maybe this isn’t like the other days. Maybe she’s truly being sincere. Maybe the days of Rube Goldberg machines to secretly hide lewd pictures of herself in your newspaper are over. If that’s the case… you can’t just let her think you’re going to hate her forever. You have to do something. "Fluttershy!" you call out to her. She turns to face you, a light behind her eyes. Her gaze focuses on you, questioningly and hopeful. "If your being serious, then just give me some time," you say. She smiles in understanding then trots away, her invisible affliction seemingly lifted. You can’t help but find a new skip in your step as you close the door. That’s it! The saga is over. No longer are you going to be objectified by Fluttershy! Maybe she’ll begin treating you like an actual person rather than one of her animals. Well, if that means she’s going to go all shy on you every time you meet… maybe that isn’t a huge improvement. Regardless, it’s at least going to set you more at ease to not be barraged at every angle for pony love. You quickly down your cereal and skip off to your job at Sweet Apple Acres. Picking apples with Applejack is some serious blue-collar work, but the pay is enough and it keeps you in shape. The day simply whizzes by with the news from this morning. You even join in with Applejack’s spontaneous apple picking songs in two part harmony. Which is saying something. You’re a terrible singer. Finally, once the sun is high in the sky, you and Applejack decide to take a break from the harvest to grab some lunch at the barn. Grabbing the wheelbarrow, you wipe the sweat from your forehead and follow the apple mare. "Jeez, Sugarcube. Ah figured y'all wouldn't be in today. Figurin’ Fluttershy was gonna break up with ya this mornin’." You couldn’t help but laugh. This was something you weren’t going to miss. The constant misconception that the whole town believes you’re a couple. "We were never a couple Applejack. I've told you this a million times," you say. "Aww, now that's the heartbreak talkin’. Why don't ya take the afternoon off. I can handle things down here fer today." A day off? What? Applejack wasn’t a work nazi by any means… but she normally doesn’t just give out free days off. You could try to correct her and assure her that you aren’t in some deep heartbreaking struggle for Fluttershy, or… "Well, thanks! I really appreciate it. See ya tomorrow!" you say, dropping the wheelbarrow and leaving Applejack to her business. You set off at a jog out of Sweet Apple Acres, a smile plastered on your face. 'First Fluttershy, now the afternoon off! Today couldn't possibly get better!' you think. ‘Now what in the world can I do with my day off?’ Heading back towards Ponyville, you can't help but wonder what brought on Fluttershy's actions. Not that it matters. Maybe you two can hang out like normal friends. She wasn't really that bad of a pony. In fact, she was kinda cute. It might be nice to actually get to know her on your own terms. Give and take. Like actual people. Ponies. Whatever. 'Maybe I should celebrate! Sugarcube Corner should have some fresh muffins right about now,’ you thought. The idea of actually having the chance to get a muffin before the lunch rush sets you off towards your destination. Once you get to the shop, you enter with the confidence of ten royal guards. "I'll take the freshest thing out of the oven, Pinkie Pie!" "If it isn’t my favorite human! We just had a chocolate cake come out. Lemme grab it." She bounces into the kitchen, and brings out a chocolate cake that would make Celestia's mouth water. "Here we go! A devil’s food three-tiered cake with milk-chocolate buttercream frosting." "Alrighty Pinkie, what's the damage?" you ask, grabbing for your wallet. Pinkie looks you over carefully, a concerned look in her eye. A bittersweet smile graces her lips as she ponders a thought. Her cheerful demeanor fades to one of compassion and sympathy. "Well. Uhm. I heard about you and Fluttershy this morning. I… I feel just awful for you." You can’t help but sigh as another one of your friends gives you completely unnecessary consolation. "Pinkie, I think this is for the best. I was getting really tired of Fluttershy and her constant attempts to win me over." She stares at you blank-eyed, not seeming to register your words. "Oookkay Anon, whatever you need to tell yourself. Just know that I'm here if you need somepony to make you smile, okay?" You can’t help but shake your head. Typical Pinkie. "Sure Pinkie, I appreciate it." "The cake is on me today. Go ahead and run home." You pick up your cake with a wide smile. "Well I don't have to go anywhere for a while, if you want company." "I don't think that's…" The entrance bell jingles. "Oh I'm just so happy you decided to let me show you around town, Anon." Wait a second… is that Fluttershy’s voice? You turn to see Fluttershy with someone you have never seen before. Wait. Someone. The sound of a breaking plate rings through the bakery. The blue floor gets a new chocolate coating, as you stare at the only other human you have seen in months. He was tall, just barely taller than you, with brown neat hair wearing a t-shirt and jeans. His eyes turn to you and he gives you a smug smile. "Oh, um. Hey guys,” Fluttershy says to you and Pinkie. “This is Anon. Anon, this is the only other human in Equestria and my friend Pinkie." "We aren't ex's. We weren't even a thing," you’re quick to interject, bitterness entering your tone. Pinkie winces and Anon continues to stare. Fluttershy frowns and grabs Anon’s hand. He holds her hoof tight. Your stomach clenches and the room is beginning to feel hotter. “Well, I'm sure we will be great friends. Humans have to stick together, right?” Anon says. “I'll be sure to hit you up after Fluttershy shows me around town.” "I can't wait," you respond. You head out of Sugarcube corner, walking through the chocolate mess that trails behind you. All the pieces are now firmly in place. She didn't want to be your friend, you were replaced. Not that it matters or anything. But, clearly it does. You’re fuming. There’s a knife sitting in your throat that make it hard to say words properly. You want to scream. You want to punch something. You feel like something was taken away from you that you could never possibly redeem. But why? You never were a fan of Fluttershy’s antics. She’s always rubbed you the wrong way. Is this just disappointment? Stewing in your thoughts, you get home in no time. You kick your door open and sit on your couch, trying to absorb the new information. "Why am I so mad?” you groan, trying to make sense of the situation. “I wanted Fluttershy gone so much and now she is!" You stand up and begin to pace your living room. "There is even a new human in Equestria. Maybe being here won't be so miserable all the time. I should have just walked right up to him. Introduced myself. Became best friends. That’s what makes sense. That’s what should happen." Your words leave a flavor of bile in your mouth. Those words couldn't be believable if you tried. You sit down on your couch again, staring at the living room floor, trying to make sense of the situation. This doesn’t make sense. None of this makes sense. In a short time, you realize you sit in a dark room and turn on some lights. Without lunch, dinner, and the thorough workout this morning you should be ravenous, but the last thing you want is food. Perhaps it would be best to eat something. You head to the fridge, open the door, and stare apatheticly at each item inside. Then, a knock at the door grabs your attention. “Who… oh,” you ask, realizing who it likely is as soon as the word leaves your mouth. You head to the door and take a moment to compose yourself. Maybe this is the chance to redeem yourself for your actions this morning. You can make a fresh start and try to be friends with this guy. Opening the door, you find Anon on the other side of the door giving you a shit-eating grin like none other that you’ve seen before. “What’s up, broseph?” he asks. His words immediately make your fists clench. "Hey. Uh. Wanna come in?" you ask, trying to relax. "Yeah, sure," he says. You step aside to let the newcomer in. "Weird place, huh? Equestria. I never imagined I'd ever find a place like this,” he says. "Yeah, I know what you mean." Those first few days were brutal when you first arrived. You can relate to him. "Everyone is really nice here though, especially that Fluttershy one. I'm sorry that things didn't work out between you two," he says with acid in his tone. Yeah, sure. "Let's not talk about that," you reply. "Sure. Lemme get to the point then. We’re busy people. I came by to see if you wanted a roommate. The mayor thought you might be interested." Your chest becomes tight and it's harder not to curse at him. "Sorry, I've always been the solitary type. Find your own place." A smile grows on Anon’s face as he folds his arms. "She said you might say that." "The mayor?" "Nope, which is why I'm staying at Fluttershy's place tonight." "I see. Well, I'd hate to make you late. Why don't I show you the way out, Anon." You probably put too much emphasis on the last word. "I getcha, I getcha. Well then." He leaves the house, but stops halfway out the door, and puts on a devilish voice. "Wish me luck, bro." He slams the door on the way out. "Douchebag." You lay down on your couch, fuming at everything that has happened today. Wasn't this what you always wanted? To get Fluttershy off your back? Shouldn't you be happy for her that she found someone interested in her as well? Too tired to think, you fall asleep.
