Anon vs RGRE

~ III ~

Anon VS Recovery

“Huh? Oh.” The voice was squeaky. “You're finally awake. Hanging in there?”

“Feels like someone blew my mind.” My vision swam back into focus. I was on a bed, my back propped against some pillows. Someone was sitting to my left. “And not in a good way either. I seriously feel like shit.”

“What's 'shit'?”

“I feel very bad.”

“Anything I can do to help with that?”

“Some... water would be nice.” I looked to my left. It wasn't Twilight sitting there—it was Rainbow Dash. The mare from before. She already had her blue wing wrapped around a glass of water, bringing it toward my muzzle. “Uh, thanks?”

“Figured you'd need the stuff when you came to.” She brought it closer to my lips. “I'm going to press this against your mouth now, alright? Tilt your head back.” I wanted to give her some more resistance, but I was too weak to do anything, and instead nodded my head. “Alright. Now wave your hoof if I'm going too fast or anything.”

She placed the glass and against my mouth. I tilted my head back and started to drink. The water was cool and soothe the aching of my throat. The more I drank, the more my body came back to life, and the more my mind became clear.

“Annnnnd done!” Rainbow gave a small cheer as she pulled the glass away, turning to place it on the bedside table. “You wanna rest up some more? Or do you wanna try getting back on your hooves.” She flicked her mane to the left, getting the multi-colored strands away from her eyes. “No shame in which one you choose.”

“I think... I've wasted enough time in bed.” Everything about me still felt sore, but not enough to demand any more rest. Slowly, I turned in my bed, groaning as I did so, throwing the sheets off my body. “Got shit that still needs to be done.”

Rainbow tilted her head from the stool she sat on. “Wait, you wanna get back to doing bad things?”

“Different meaning this time.” I sat up on the side of the bed, coughing. “Hey, is... Twilight around at all? My head still kinda hurts.” There was a lot more going on in my head than pain, but for now, I wasn't sure how much I could trust Rainbow Dash. “Kinda weird to see a...”

“Another mare at your bed? Geeze, you are weird.” Rainbow tilted her muzzle up. She came down from the stool, coming to lower herself next to me. “Here. Toss your leg around my neck. Let's get you fed up in the kitchen.”

“I... you... is that a good idea?”

“What? You worried I'm gonna do something dirty to you?”

“Wouldn't be the first mare to try it.”

“Listen. Have I given you cause yet to distrust me?”

“You threw yourself at me.”

“That was a joke!” she replied, puffing her cheeks. “Look dude. You wanna know the reason why I didn't do anything more to ya?”

“Because Twilight was there to stop you?”

“Twilight doesn't scare me.” Rainbow smirked. “In fact, I would have rather had Twilight in this bed than you.” She winked an eye. “Catch my drift?”

“Why would you... oh.”

“Hey! You ain't so dumb after all.”

“Shut up.”

“Stop being a pansy and I'll think about it.” Rainbow snuggled her muzzle under my right foreleg. “Now then. Try putting some weight on your hooves. If you're not strong enough, then you can lean on me if you have to.”

Something about that statement touched me.

I slid down onto my hooves. My legs buckled from the weight. At once, I leaned into her, the softness of her blue barrel keeping me straight. She laughed at the pressure, but kept ridgid next to me, keeping me standing straight.

“See! There ya go.” Rainbow led the way along the bed, her muzzle pointed forward below me. “One step after the other. Keep at it. You're doing alright.”

We slowly walked across the room.

“You're... different from most mares.” I couldn't help but glance at her, notching how her eyes were set on the hallway—she seemed like the girl to always be looking where she wanted to go. “I'm sure anyone else would have spoon fed me.”

“Not my style.”

“Not mine either.”

We were made to become fast friends.

“Where's Twilight?”

I don't think I was set to become friends with the dragon, though.

“Spike. Calm down. Twilight's alright.”

“I already know she's alright!” Spike was seated on the other side of the table. He was slim for a dragon, and his purple scales seemed glossed over with polished. Whiny brat. But he was concerned for Twilight, which got a small pass. “I wanna know where she is. It's not like her to leave me all alone. I hate being alone!”

I squinted my eyes at that statement.

“Twilight just had some business in Canterlot.” Rainbow turned away from the oven, her mane flicking over her shoulder. “It's no big deal. She was just getting advice on what to do with Anon over there.”

Spike shot his gaze onto me, crossing his arms, his eyes glaring. “So you're the reason why I'm alone?”

“I... think you did that to yourself.”

“E-Excuse me?!”

“Anon.” I glanced over at Rainbow. “Little dude is sensitive right now. Heck, most guys are sensitive.” She sighed and her shoulders dropped. “I dunno what your deal is right now, but for the moment, can you take it a bit easier on the dude?” She tucked her bottom lip inside her mouth. “He's been through some stuff.”

“R-Rainbow!” Spike went back to glaring at her. “You promised not to tell any strangers.”

“And I'm not. Calm down.” Rainbow scratched the back of her neck with a hoof, looking up. “Say, Spike?” She glanced back at him. “How about chilling out in your room for a little while? Anon and I have some stuff to talk about.”

“You're going to talk about me behind my back?”

“No, we're not.” Rainbow closed her eyes, audibly inhaling through her snout. “We're... going to talk about how much of a good boy you've been. Y'know, so we can tell Twilight and all that?” Looking back over at Spike, I saw his head was still down. “That, and I'll bring some food to your room. Your fav.”

Spike's eyes blinked. “Y-You really mean it?”

“I'll ask Rarity to come over later if you promise to keep to yourself for a bit.”

“Well okay!”

I almost didn't see him leave. Spike stood up on the chair like a child. I suppose he was one, to be fair. He leaped down and took off in a dash, becoming a purple blur that came around a corner. His distant, fading footsteps were the last I heard of him.

I looked back at Rainbow. “What the fuck was that?”

“Spike's been through some... 'shit', as you like to say.” Rainbow stepped back from the stove. Her wing turned a dial, and the sound fire stopped. The tip of her wing raised to the pan, lifting it over the two plates next to it, letting an omelet slide down onto each.

“We're low on groceries, so I hope you like eggs.” Rainbow slid a wing underneath each plate, which she balanced up into the air as she turned to me. Walking over, she placed a plate at each side of the table. She sat where Spike had. “Real talk, though. Can you take it easier on the little guy?”

I blinked. “Why should I?”

“C'mon. Your eyes work, don't they?” Rainbow pointed a hoof over her shoulder. “A dragon living among ponies and stuff? Very uptight around strangers?” She let her wing sweep over a fork, using it to dive into her food. “You want the short story? Spike doesn't do well around others. Hasn't left the castle in over a year 'cause of it.”

I chuckled. “Really? What a fuckin' wimp.”

“Dude, really?” Rainbow Dash narrowed her eyes on me. I shifted in my chair. “Little guy got mocked from the whole town. It was so bad that he ran into the castle and refused to leave again.” Rainbow leaned back into her chair, the bottom front legs inching off the floor. “Look. I didn't have much respect for him at the start either.”

Her eyes wandered to her eggs. She cut a slice, but didn't take a bite.

“The hell changed, then?”

“Dude's an outsider,” Rainbow said without emotion. “None of the mares want him. All the stallions think he's disgusting. He's whiny because he's alone, but he doesn't know how to stop being whiny.” She shrugged. “I'm a mare who likes other mares. That doesn't fly so well around here.”

“That's... interesting.” I shook my head, feeling like, per usual, a dick. Rainbow was kind enough to not include me along the list of outsiders, but she made her point known all the same. “Figured stallions would get off to seeing a mare, y'know, do another mare.”

“Well yeah, they're doing it for the sake of stallions.” Rainbow still hadn't raised her eyes. “But when it comes to a mare wanting something? That stuff doesn't get you much credit.” Finally, she raised her eyes—if only to roll them. “Stallions are lucky in that way.”

“Unless they're me.”

She met my eyes. “Unless they're you, I guess.”

I went back to looking at my eggs after that. I blinked. Twilight had taken much better to my wit and bullshit, but here, Rainbow Dash was being straight up with me. It was refreshing, in a way. Out interactions cut my skin, and most of the time, I had nothing to defend myself with.

I guess all mares in this world weren't the same.

“I'll... talk to Spike later,” I said without looking up. “Hash things out. Maybe find a way to help him out or... something.”

“Sounds like the right thing to do.” I could feel Rainbow's eyes on me. “Now then, you gonna eat? Or do I have to feed it to ya?”