Author's Note

This chapter is essentially romantic eroticism. There is no sex as such, but there is intimacy and a good deal of closeness.

This chapter is also a good deal shorter than the previous two. This and the previous two chapters had originally been intended to be the one - but obviously that just wasn't going to flow very well - the one 20,000+ word chapter. It has thus been broken into three for the sake of readability. So I apologize if anyone is reading this and gets a stomach ache from the sudden dose of romanticism and 'sweet nothings' and the like.

As with all love stories, there is eventually trauma of one kind or another.

2017-06-13 POST EDIT:

Cleaned, fixed some grammar issues and made things a little less sappy. It does need some romance in here.

When worlds collide.

“Men have died from time to time, and worms have eaten them, but not for love”

― Shakespeare Love Quotes 35: As You Like It – Act 4, Scene 1

Karn stood at the edge of the Bucephalus Brook, visibly shaken, as the crying form of Fluttershy flew back towards her cottage in the dimming sunlight. He could not bring himself to call after her. 'She ... she loves me? But, that makes no sense, she seemed to be avoiding me most of the past fortnight,' he thought. And yet, she had burst out to him, out of the blue, that she loved him. She had said it so strongly, so confidently, in a manner very unlike the way she would normally have carried herself.

She loved him!

He had spent so much time considering his reasons for being in love with her, even attempting to analyze those feelings as if they were some kind of illness - and yet she loved him, as he loved her. His mouth still somewhat agape and the shock still very apparent on his face, he turned momentarily to look back across the brook.

The emotion driving his heart switched from shock to sheer joy and from thence to determination. "Oh my beautiful angel," he exclaimed to himself finally, "you are not getting away from me that easily!"

He had intentionally avoided drawing on energy of any kind since his arrival in Equestria for fear of either hurting anyone or having unpleasant flashbacks, but with thoughts of Fluttershy being so upset fresh in his mind, he threw aside such concerns and drew on the energy now. He drew enough of it to commence the dilation and bending of time. He drew it rapidly and with a skill honed from centuries of practice, commencing the bending of space around him. Having thus twisted the linear aspect of time, he was able to traverse the distance from the edge of the brook to the front of Fluttershy's cottage at a relativistic speed.

Racing to the front door of her cottage, he rapped strongly on the door. "Fluttershy? Please open the door, I need to speak to you! Please!" The door flew open and he was met by a very angry looking Angel Bunny, who stood there glaring upwards and stamping his foot. "Angel Bunny, where is Fluttershy? Is she here? Did she come back to her cottage?" Angel indicated directly across the living room, to a couch upon which lay the sad and shuddering form of Fluttershy.

The sight of her like this made his heart sin. His shoulders fell, and with tears of his own to add to the sorry scene, he slowly shook his head from side to side. "Oh Fluttershy, no," he whispered.

He slowly crossed the living room towards where she was presently lying. He could hear her sobbing quite uncontrollably, turned away from him as she lay facing the back of the sofa. The sight of her crying and in such emotional pain had broken Karn's heart, shattered it quite to pieces. 'I have fought so many battles, so many wars, seen all manner of horrors and participated in tribulations the likes of which none of these ponies could ever possibly hope to comprehend ... yet none of those things have pained me as much as the sight of this,' he thought to himself. The shared agony of their situation bit into his soul with the tragic misunderstanding of their mutual feelings now apparent.

Having slowly crossed the room, he stopped just within ear shot of her. Gently, as softly as he could manage with his voice and yet still be heard, he spoke. "Fluttershy ... do you mind if I come a little closer to you? I have a few things I need to tell you."

She managed a slight nod of her head, but remained with her back to him - her sobbing and trembling continued.

He slowly and quietly stepped towards the sofa, before kneeling down next to her head. He could not make out the features of her face as it was covered by her mane, stuck somewhat to her cheeks by her poor tears. She was balled up on the sofa, almost in a fetal position. His voice was now barely a whisper. "Fluttershy, there's something I have been wanting so much to tell you now for quite some time. I ... well, I've fought very hard not to say these things, because I was terrified I would lose you," he explained.

Gently reaching out with his right hand, he carefully drew back Fluttershy's moist fringe, to expose her sad, tear-soaked cheek. His touch, whilst soft, was enough to make her flinch just a little.

He slowly leaned over her, not wanting to startle her. Lowering himself down towards her face, he softly, gently met one of her salty tears with his lips. She sniffed quite suddenly in surprise. With his lips now closer to her, he allowed himself to admit his own feelings for her. "Fluttershy ... I love you too," he whispered finally.

"Karn," she sobbed, "please ... you don't have to feel sorry for me ... "

"Fluttershy, please - I love you. I have never loved anyone, nor have I ever felt before what I feel for you," he insisted. Once more leaning forward, he kissed away another single tear from her cheek, placing his lips as lovingly and as gently against her as he could without frightening her. She managed another small flinch and a surprised sniff escaped her. He gently smoothed back her mane a little more, and using the back of his hand he carefully smoothed the remaining tears from her cheek.

Continuing to slowly soothe her thus, he tried to make his feelings known to her. "I've been in love with you for quite some time, now, Fluttershy. I remember the curious sensations I had when I had convalesced enough in the hospital to become aware of my surroundings. I can remember that horrible night when you came to my aid ... when you held me close to you after the worst of my nightmares. I remember even then thinking that I didn't care if you were a figment of my fevered imagination, you were just ... so wonderful," he assured her. He continued to gently stroke her reddened cheek with his hand, caressing her as lovingly as he could manage. "Fluttershy, I have thought for so long about my feelings for you, about how much you mean to me, thinking that I had ... well, some kind of silly, playful admiration for you ... but, these past two weeks, Fluttershy, I cannot deny anymore that I do love you and that I love you passionately."

Karn began to softly stroke her mane, noting that her sobbing had subsided somewhat. He could not tell in the dimly lit room whether her eyes were open, whether she was annoyed or just shocked.

"Fluttershy, " he continued softly, "every moment away from you has been an agony for me. I wake in the morning wondering where you are and what you're doing, if you're okay. Your lovely smile and memories of your warm hugs keep me company whilst I'm working. Every evening I find myself lying in my bed at the farm ... and it is thoughts of you that dance through my mind as I drift off to sleep."

"Karn, do you ... do you really mean that?" she sniffed.

Even through tears of his own, he managed a gentle laugh. "Fluttershy, I have never been more sure of anything in my entire life."

Once more he found himself gently caressing her cheek with his lips. She managed another flinch, but he was delighted to notice that it wasn't as sharp as before. His senses were slowly filled with her beautiful vanilla scent and the enticing warmth of her that met his lips was divine - it was beautiful in a way that he had difficulty grasping, and with his senses thus assailed, he felt very nearly light headed. Steeling himself a little, he gently kissed his way up her cheek and to her forehead, before gently resting the side of his face against the side of hers. He slowly rubbed his cheek gently against her, his eyes closed and just basked in this incredible feeling of closeness he was finally able to share with her.

"Karn, I really don't know what to say. I had no idea you felt like this," she whispered. Her sobbing had subsided and yet she lay on the sofa facing away from him. She could feel the warmth of his face next to her and an electric sensation lingered on her skin where he had kissed her. All of this time she'd had such strong feelings for him and yet she was so sure he would have preferred to be with Pinkie. Their situation was still difficult for her to comprehend, his love for her was something she had never suspected. She had assumed all this time that he only wished for them to be friends.

Karn's heartache being too much for him to bare, he slowly and cautiously slid up onto the sofa behind her. Slowly wrapping one arm around her barrel, he snuggled his face into the back of her mane. He could feel her tensing a little. "Shhhhh. It's okay, Fluttershy ... I just needed to hug you so very much ... it hurts to know you're so sad," he whispered delicately to her. He softly kissed the back of her crest, and when she didn't flinch, he kissed her a little more firmly before snuggling his head up against her neck, allowing himself to cry softly.

"Oh, Karn ... please don't be sad? I love you, I really do, I never wanted to hurt you this way," she whispered.

"Fluttershy, you haven't hurt me ... I need you. I need to be with you, to belong to you, to ... to just be near you," he admitted softly as he gently rested his chin on her crest once more. "I'm sorry," he sniffed, "I'm just a little overcome, Fluttershy. I'm not crying this way by virtue of any pain. I'm just ... overcome. I had no idea that you shared a love for me like this."

She slowly released the tension from her muscles and snuggled her head back against his chest a little. His strong arms and the way he curled his legs under her made her feel safe somehow. She had never experienced the emotions she was carrying now with anypony before; in fact she had never expected nor sought this kind of closeness. This human - his loving arms, his gentle nature, the way he loved her animal friends ... she rubbed her head against his firm chest again, her eyes closed, enjoying this feeling of love and closeness.

On feeling her nuzzling against him, Karn held her a little more tightly and gently kissed the top of her head again. "You truly are just an angel, Fluttershy. So delicate, yet so strong when you need to be. You're like ... finding a beautiful, scented rose blooming in the middle of winter. A treasure so wondrous and yet so delicate."

"Karn, I'm sorry, I'm not used to ... well, used to being held like this ... " she sniffed.

"I'm sorry, Fluttershy, am I bothering you?" he asked with concern.

"No," she exclaimed, "the feeling of you having me in your arms like this ... oh my goodness, Karn, I love you. I've wanted so much to be held close to you. It feels so beautiful, so loving. Please, don't let go of me."

"Fluttershy, it's taken me over two hundred of your 'years' for me to have the beautiful honor of cuddling you. I can think of nothing that would entice me away at this moment," he smiled. To reinforce his sentiments his kissed her behind her ear before reiterating his love for her once more.

The two of them lay there, somewhat cramped on Fluttershy's sofa. Karn would gently rub his cheek against her crest, and lovingly run his hand along her barrel, occasionally along her left leg before gently caressing her hoof. He could feel her becoming more relaxed, and her sniffles soon gave way to gentle breaths. He felt the rise and fall of her chest and the loving way she rubbed her face against his other arm resting underneath her. They lay there in a loving embrace for some time, as the sun set and allowed the night its time to command.

"Karn ... I have never felt like I do when I'm with you," she said finally. "I've never had romantic feelings for any stallion before - and I know that nopony has ever felt this kind of affection for me. But ... you make me feel so special. It feels lovely to spend time with you, to enjoy your smiles, to talk with you. I feel so wonderful when I see you looking at me and sharing your smile. You are so loving, so appreciative, so thoughtful. I really do love you so very much, Karn. I know I'm shy and I don't often say very much, or I say things and they come out the wrong way ... like, well, earlier ... but I do love you with all my heart."

"Fluttershy, the most beautiful thing I could ever hope to imagine is just hearing you say that I make you feel special," he whispered, snuggling against her mane once more. God but she was so soft, so warm, so sweet.

"Karn, I ... " she stammered.

He leaned gently forward and kissed her neck. "What is it, my love?"

"Oh, you'll think it's silly."

"Fluttershy - I've mistaken you for my mother before. There's nothing you could tell me that would sillier."

She managed a quiet giggle. "You remember that?"

"Oh yes. Even fever dreams can be recalled, my love. Do you remember that horrible night when I had the worst of my nightmares?" She snuggled back against his chest and torso a little. "I can remember the sound of you singing that lullaby to me."

"Oh my goodness," she laughed. "You remember that too?"

"Of course!" he explained, smiling broadly. "I felt so lost and terrified, and there you were. Gently cradling me in your hooves and singing so sweetly. It's strange to say, my love, but ... well, the first night I slept out at Sweet Apple Acres, I had trouble getting to sleep. So, I lay back and relaxed, and recalled the sound of your beautiful voice, and the sound of that sweet lullaby," he said to her sweetly. "Did you notice that after that night, I didn't have any nightmares again?"

"Well, I know that you seemed to rest a lot better."

"That was you, Fluttershy," he whispered, before gently kissing her cheek once more.

"It was me?" she asked in genuine confusion.

"After the worst of those horrific dreams I had, I was terrified to go back to sleep. Yet after you'd held me that night and sung to me ... you were there, in my dreams. I would fall asleep and dream, and well, there you would be. Watching over me, in my sleep. So, as silly as it sounds my love, that's why I took to calling you my guardian angel. You were there each evening, guarding me in my dreams."

He smiled, and once more nuzzled his face gently into her mane. "So, Fluttershy, try me!" he exclaimed suddenly. "What is it you could ask or tell me that could be sillier?"

To his surprise, he felt her actually tense a little. He was still wondering why, when she spoke. "Karn ... would you please stay with me tonight?" It was certainly a question he wasn't expecting from her. "I don't mean that I want to ... well ... I mean ... would you mind keeping me company and just snuggling with me?"

"Fluttershy - I could imagine no greater honor," he smiled. "However, I shall do so on the one condition."

"On ... on one condition?" she asked nervously.

"If you're uncomfortable or you change your mind, please promise me that you'll let me know?"

"I promise, Karn."

"I think we will need a slightly more comfortable bed than this sofa, though, my love," he laughed. "Shall we retire to your bedroom instead?"

"Yes please," yawned Fluttershy.

Karn rose from the side of the sofa and slid his strong arms underneath Fluttershy. She gave an involuntary squeak as he lifted her up and cradled her against his chest. He looked adoringly down into her poor, red eyes. "Allow me to carry you, Fluttershy. Besides, " he continued, "I'm becoming addicted to having you in my arms - you may need medical help to have me removed!"

Fluttershy managed another giggle, and nuzzled her face against his firm chest as he carried her gently to her bed. It was still difficult for her to accept that any of this was really happening. To think that all this time, he was in love with her. She opened her sore, tired eyes and observed as much of his face as she could in the dim cottage. She could at least ascertain that his charming smile had returned. She lay against his chest, his arms around her - and she felt secure. Not only was he a dear friend but he was the love she had always assumed she would never find. She reached out to his face with her hoof, and touched his cheek. To her delight, he looked down and met her eyes. She didn't want this moment to ever end.

Holding her closely, Karn carefully made his way upstairs to her bedroom. Sliding back the covers with one foot whilst deftly maintaining his balance, he gently lay Fluttershy into the bed. The bed itself was certainly not long enough for him, but as long as he was spooning her as gently as he had been on the couch, he figured they should both be able to manage a good night's sleep.

Fluttershy lay in her bed, observing the human that she had fallen so very much in love with. Everything this evening had been such a surprise. She had never thought for an instant that he loved her as much as she adored him. She could recall the way he cuddled her on the sofa, the feeling that he absolutely doted on her. She felt the need to be closer to him - a closeness, sharing warmth but without joining their bodies together. The idea of someday coupling with him briefly entered her mind and she wondered what it would be like, to join their bodies together in such a beautiful way, to feel that male part of him within her. Blushing suddenly, she forced such thoughts aside.

He managed a loving smile, before standing up and beginning to disrobe. Fluttershy found this act somewhat unusual, since most ponies did not wear a great deal - certainly not as much as a human did. Karn removed his jacket and suit shirt and laid them neatly over a nearby chair, before removing his footwear.

Crossing back to the bed, he sat next to her, sliding his hand along her warm cheek. She closed her eyes and gently rubbed her face on his hand. His touch was so loving, so genuine - there was no selfishness or hidden motive here.

Karn slid his hand from her warm cheek, and slid into the bed next to her, whist Fluttershy rolled across onto her side, her back to him. In the soft light of the moon and the stars through her bedroom window, her beauty simply took his breath away. His right arm sliding gently under the pillow beneath her head, he slowly slid across her bed until his chest and torso met her back. There was a slight flinch and a squeak from her. "Are you okay, my love?" he whispered gently.

"Yes, Karn, I'm just ... a little surprised."

Reaching for the eiderdown along the foot of the bed, he gently pulled it up and over the two of them, to shoulder height. Sliding his hand under the warm covers, he gently brushed his hand over her left shoulder and down along her flank until he had reached her tail. Her breathing quickened a little and he could feel her muscles tense. He leaned his face down to her neck and began kissing a trail up to her ear, listening to her soft panting as he did so. "It's okay, my love," another kiss on her cheek. "Please remember that I love you? You don't need to be afraid - if my holding you this way is going to bother you, then please let me know?" She responded with a quiet squeak and a nod.

Karn buried his face into the back of her mane, gently rubbing the back of her neck and became intoxicated with her scent, her softness. Gently shifting her tail such as to rest it over his left thigh, he slowly spooned himself under her - just lightly touching her, not forcefully.

She immediately tensed up and began trembling. "Fluttershy, clearly this is distressing for you," he whispered. "Would it be easier for you if I lay here next to you instead?"

"No, please don't go!" she begged, before he could move.

"Fluttershy - you're very tense and obviously uncomfortable. You don't have to do this, my love."

"Karn ... I need to feel this. I need to feel you close to me. It's so beautiful," she said. "It's not that I'm uncomfortable, my love, it's just that ... the things I feel for you, and the way you make me feel - it's so new to me. When I ran away from your party tonight, I never thought we would ever share a kiss, or hold hooves, or be any closer than friends. I never imagined ... I could never have imagined that you ... you would be here, like this, with me," she whispered, as she snuggled her head into the pillow and little more firmly under his chin. "Please stay, Karn. Please love me," she breathed softly, her eyes closed.

Karn gently kissed the top of her head once more, sliding his strong legs further under her. Reaching his hand around her barrel, he gently stroked her for a while, nuzzling her softly with his chin. "Oh God, Fluttershy, you are so beautiful," he said delicately, as he kissed the top of her head. "I love your wonderful pink mane and your enticing scent. I am captivated by your beautiful blue-green eyes, your cute little nose ... " to which she giggled quietly, earning another her another kiss, "... your wonderful lips and your magical smile. I love the sweet, soft, mystical sound of your voice - especially when you are singing or when I'm listening to you talking to our animal friends," he observed. He looked down towards her to see that her eyes were closed. She was still trembling, but not as much as before. "I love how soft and warm your body feels against mine, Fluttershy - the way I can feel your little chest rise and fall while you breathe, the way I can feel your heart beating against me."

"Oh, Karn," she whispered, snuggling her head back against the top of his chest. "I'm ... scared."

He found himself surprised. "Scared? Is it something I'm doing to frighten you?" he asked, genuinely concerned.

"No, Karn it's ... I'm worried that you'll change your mind about me, about how you feel," she whispered, her voice quivering. Those tears began forming again in her eyes.

"Fluttershy, no!" he whispered to her, as comfortingly as possible. "What makes you think I would ever change how I feel about you?"

"It's just that ... well, I'm very quiet, I don't say much and I'm not as confident as the others. Even tonight, when we're lying here together, I keep bothering you by being nervous and ... I'm just scared you'll get sick of me somehow. When I left the party tonight, I sort of assumed that you would rather have been with Pinkie."

Finally things seemed to make a little more sense to him. Was this why she had seemed so withdrawn the past two weeks - she thought it was Pinkie he was attracted to? "That's why you've been trying to keep clear of me, my love? You thought I was attracted to Pinkie?"

"Karn, I just want you to know that I'd understand if you change your mind about me ... "

"Fluttershy ... "

"I just know that she's more fun to be around, and well she has more to talk about than I do, since I'm so shy all the time ... "

"Shhhh, it's okay. Fluttershy, it is you that I need! I understand that you can by shy, but you're not shy when I'm with you?"

"But I don't say as much as ... "

"Fluttershy, you don't need to! When you say you love me, that means more to me than you could ever understand. When you tell me that I make you feel special ... my love, I cannot find words to describe just how wonderful that is. Pinkie and I are great friends and she's a blast to be with but ... she isn't you. It is you that I am passionately in love with, Fluttershy. It is you that I want to be with, to be near, to kiss, to belong to! You don't need to talk to me at length about anything, Fluttershy - just being near you is heaven for me. You don't have to be anything other than who you are! I want you, my love - and you are all I want, or need!"

"Oh, Karn, I love you too!" she sobbed, rolling over to face him. Gently holding her in his arms, he rolled onto his back, lifting her up and onto his chest. Lifting her slowly upwards, so that he could face her, he tried to look into her beautiful eyes as lovingly and as affirmatively as possible.

"Fluttershy - I love you! Nothing is ever going to change that," he gently whispered, wiping her tears with his hands and smoothing back her fringe once more. "You are my reason for living, Fluttershy. You are the center of my world. I love you passionately, completely ... and will do so for eternity!"

Without giving her a chance to apologize, he slowly brought her face toward his, gently meeting her lovely soft lips with his own. The kiss was not forced - it was a soft and gentle caressing of their mouths. Fluttershy raised her face after a moment. "Oh, Karn - I've never been kissed before!"

He looked into his lover's eyes. "Did you mind me stealing a first kiss from you, Fluttershy?"

She gave him that wonderful smile that he adored so much - she even shared a giggle with him, and for a moment he thought his heart would leap. "No, Karn - it was beautiful."

She leaned down to him and once more they joined their lips together, a little more urgently this time, a little more passionately - sensually exploring each others' mouths, and basking in the feeling of being so close to one another. This was a moment they had both been wanting to share for so long. The kiss grew more passionate - Karn sliding his hands through her mane, rubbing his fingers along her skin, caressing her cheek with his other hand. Their breathing was rapid and passionate - to his own surprise, Karn found Fluttershy exploring his mouth with her tongue, a gesture he returned. So they found themselves in a warm embrace, their mouths joined and their tongues lovingly rubbing within.

Finally somewhat out of breath, they slowly parted lips and locked eyes once more. "Oh my goodness ... Karn, I ... I need you to be my stallion, someday!"

"Fluttershy, I am already yours."

She gently rested her head onto his chest and softly cried - not tears of pain, or shame, or even from being overcome. They were tears of joy, of love and of the knowledge of finding who it was that she wanted to spend eternity with.

Karn gently caressed her head with his left hand, gently running his fingers through that mane of hers that he loved so dearly, kissing her forehead. He brushed his other hand down her back, along her flanks and gently rubbed his hands over her rear - drawing little circles over her cutie marks with his finger as he did so.

"You are never going to lose me, Fluttershy," he whispered, once more lovingly kissing her forehead. "I would be honored to be your stallion."

Her head resting gently on him, his hands caressing her soft form, they lay close to each other - and drifted off into a sleep that was mystical. A sleep born of a deep respect, of mutual love, tenderness and a deep sexual desire.

"I cannot ever leave you" he whispered, before sleep took him.