Author's Note
Why is it every time I try and write something short and sweet it always turns out to be long and sad? Am I hexed or something?
Anywho, in case you haven't guessed, this story is based on a rather touchy, sensitive topic for many people out there who have experienced losses from both their friends and families due to cancer. I haven't personally lost anyone in my life from it before, but, as I was writing, I felt my heart tearing very slowly. You have my deepest sympathies, and at least they can finally rest in peace.
I hope you all enjoy the read.
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With love, from England,
The Last Request
One Last Request
A Story by FireRain
*** *** ***
Every nerve in his body ached.
His blood chilled as it flowed slowly through his veins while his heart thumped rhythmically from deep within his chest, only just audible to his ears. Speaking of his ears, he couldn't hear anything besides the sound of his heart beating, and the world around his seemed to be switched on mute.
Sat in his seat on the other side of the doctor's desk, laid out with your typical set-up of pens, pencils, medical charts and a clipboard filled out with personal details, plus, a type of medical degree, his eyes stared blankly at him. Although he was looking forward and directly at him, he wasn't really looking at all. He was still processing what had been said to him.
He knew he had been feeling ill for days without much explanation or reason for feeling terrible, but here he was now, sat here with the answer struggling to turn the mental cogs within his brain.
''I'm terribly sorry, Mr. MayCee,'' The doctor began, and the sorrow was thick within his voice, shortly after he had sat down. ''But our suspicions were correct. Your analysis confirms that you have a clear case of leukemia.''
That word, 'leukemia', bounced around in his cavernous head, knocking around and echoing within his ears like a basketball deciding whether or not it was going to drop into the hoop.
At first, mornings had been very ordinary, what would be considered as an average morning of being awoken slowly, stirred from a deep, peaceful slumber by the kiss of the warm sun gracing his cheek, right before he headed into the bathroom for a shower and a shave. After that, he would go downstairs and get his breakfast, a favourite from his childhood, well-done toast, browned and crispy with a thin layer of butter and a few globs of strawberry jam.
Just like Mummy used to make.
And then, shortly after, it had started to slowly make itself noticed, beginning with nothing more than a simple case of coughs, the occasional sputter that often left him gagging for breath. It started to become painful after a while, and he had started to develop a case of unrest, finding it near to impossible to fall asleep during the night, which left him feeling like a sack of old meat in the morning, the only way he was able to function by forcing himself to eat to gather energy, mostly sugary goods, but it didn't help matters much.
About a week when these happenings had started, he began to experience worse symptoms. He began to suffer from constant, nagging and grueling migraines and head pains that left him clenching his skull with his fingernails digging into the sides of his head, sometimes scraping past the skin layer as he clenched his teeth in agony to suppress a cry of pain.
And then he began to cough up pockets of blood.
There wasn't much of it to start with, nothing more than a few specks mixed in with phlegm and mucus, but then it started to come in larger amounts, staining his hacked-up bodily fluids a deep red, often leaving his throat raw and scratchy afterwards. So, after seeking medical attention, and after about a few weeks of waiting for results, here he was with his answer: Cancer.
''No,'' He whispered, his lips hardly moving as he spoke quietly. ''No, t-that can't be right,'' MayCee said. The doctor only frowned and gave him a sympathetic look, though he remained professional and collected, something he had learned to do after years of bearing bad news to patients.
''I'm afraid that our research is accurate, Mr. MayCee. I'm truly, terribly sorry,'' He said, his tone somber.
''How long have I got?'' MayCee asked, unsure if he wanted the answer or not.
The doctor cupped his hooves together on the metal desk between him and his patient and he rolled his shoulders slowly in his white doctor's coat, as if preparing himself for the next part on the agenda.
''According to what your charts and medical results show,'' He said, glancing down at the few personal details in front of him before he looked back up to face MayCee. ''I'd estimate perhaps a couple of weeks,'' He said sorrowfully. ''Plenty of time to get your affairs in order and to say goodbye to your loved ones,'' He told him.
MayCee didn't know how to respond. He sat there, so quiet and so still that he might as well have been dead already. He felt himself grow numb and he thought about all of the things he had done and accomplished in his life, both the good and the bad.
The first time that he had developed a crush on a sweet girl he had met in the nursery, who would then go on to become his first girlfriend, the time that he had gone to a party with some friends and dived on into the pool in the back garden with all of his clothes still on, the first time that he ever tried the fiery, bitter spirit that was whiskey, the time that he had earned his driver's license. All of those small things were instantly diminished by this news that had been brought to his attention, and he didn't have a clue on how he should react.
MayCee thought of his widowed mother back on Earth, how much she probably missed him, MayCee being all she had in the world since his father's untimely death in a driving accident during a snow storm on the way home from work, and now she was all alone. Who would be there to tell her that her only son had passed away from cancer? Who would be there to console her? Neighbours? Friends? Other relatives? And what of Abbie? How would she take the news if she heard about it? She would be devastated beyond comprehension!
Although they were now broken up after about a five year relationship, of which had its ups and downs, they were still close friends, and she was the only girl that MayCee had ever been intimate and 'close to' in that kind of romantic way. He had been with her almost since the very start of his life, and to have it taken away from his in a flash broke his heart. He still had a small flame for that girl, but what was the use? They were two worlds apart.
Should MayCee be happy? Sad? Maybe angry? Perhaps he should be all of those things, and he would have reason to be, but, instead, he did the only thing that any human would do after receiving life-changing, gloomy news: he broke down and cried.
He planted his hands over his face and he hunched forward in his chair as he nearly head-butted the metal desk in front of him, and he stayed like that for upwards of five minutes. The doctor, taking heavy pity on the man, had decided to come around from his chair and pat him on the back, doing his best to console him.
However, it didn't do much good. Nothing would do much good in a situation such as this. MayCee's heart was tearing itself apart at the seams and his tears burned and stung bitterly at his glassy blue eyes.
Nothing was going to be the same again.
*** *** ***
After leaving the hospital, MayCee found himself trudging along the dirt path back towards Ponyville, his worn red neon Nike trainers, long-since-scuffed and tattered, collecting dust and becoming smudged with dirt. He didn't much care about how ruined his trainers were getting.
He didn't even care that it was a sunny day outside and that the skies were clear and brilliant blue, courtesy of Rainbow Dash and her weather patrol team, and he especially didn't care or even wish to pay any attention or mind to the birds singing or the rather gentle and soothing, crisp breeze that followed.
All that he was able to focus upon was the news that was given to him back at the doctor's office in the hospital. It clouded his mind like a plague or a virus, burrowed so deeply inside of his body that it was all he could bear to think about.
In his chest, his shattered, shredded and bruised heart ached and made him feel limp, causing him to feel like he wanted to cry on a constant whim. His eyes were still stained from the near-endless spout of crying that had followed when the doctor broke the news to him, and he knew that it must have been fairly obvious, a bit of knowledge gathered and judged upon how some ponies were glancing towards him.
Some of them commented in concerned and worried tones that he looked distraught and incredibly saddened by something, but that something was something that they didn't know the half of.
How could they? As far as he knew, ponies in Equestria very rarely succumbed to cancer, with all of their advanced medical knowledge and health care along with magically-aided surgery and medicinal products. Those unicorns out there with the highest and most valuable of magical knowledge were able to produce such a spell that was very effective as a means of keeping certain general ailments, health problems and physical disabilities at bay, including forms of cancer, but, for whatever reason, it would not take effect upon MayCee's affected area - his brain.
At any given moment, as he was walking towards the town square, where the daily market stalls were always propped up and open for business, MayCee could very well drop dead in an instant and he likely wouldn't notice until he was face-down on the ground. He may not notice even then.
It could happen literally any time during the day or night, and it wouldn't matter where he was, there was simply no stopping it from happening. He would be MayCee the Human one second and MayCee the Corpse next. It welled up a serious, nerve-racking fear within his gut, and the thought of death alone terrified him.
He didn't know what it felt like to die, and he wished that he knew if it hurt or if it was completely painless, but, unfortunately, those that have died in the past, from either natural causes or from a disease or ailment, were unable to be inquired upon. It made his heart sink deeper.
The words spoken by the doctor had haunted his mind since he had left the hospital, the part where he was given two weeks left to live. Two whole weeks. Fourteen days. It wasn't that long to do much of anything, really, and MayCee had never cared much for what day of the week it was before because he never had any reason to, but now he did.
How was he going to go about breaking the news to his friends? The ponies he was closest to included Rainbow Dash, Fluttershy and Applejack. Well, more Rainbow and Fluttershy than Applejack. MayCee and Applejack have swapped words, shared a few laughs and had their moments together, but he didn't see her too often. The only time he saw her was when she was working on selling her apples in the market by her supply wagon.
Applejack was nice and sweet. MayCee loved to hear her talk. There was something about the Southern drawl that had a warm, charismatic charm to it that made him want to hang around the orange mare. Not only that, but she was pretty fun company, too. Always so nice and hospitable, always so open and honest...the list drags on.
Then there was Rainbow Dash, that cyan daredevil with a tough, assertive exterior and a soft, sensitive interior. That was a puzzle that MayCee solved during his first week of getting to know the rainbow-maned mare. Sure, she may be a little egotistical and arrogant at times, but he knew that she was good for it.
Rainbow was very much like Applejack in the sense that she was competitive and bull-headed when need be. She was surprisingly easy to talk to and she was always there for MayCee when he needed her. For that, he was eternally grateful for her friendship.
MayCee didn't know what made her so easy to talk to. At first, her confident, assertive and bull-headed attitude scared him off a little, but as he began to talk with her and hang out with her around town to get to know his bearings on Ponyville, he discovered a whole new side to her. She was very open and caring towards her friends, and she had plenty of love and advice to give to those that really needed it. MayCee knew that he definitely needed some of it when he first came to Equestria. Badly.
Fluttershy, on the other hand, she was...well, she was very tender and almost motherly. She was a quiet and timid little thing, but she was a very loving mare. She mostly keeps to herself and doesn't like socialising all too much, and MayCee thought it was a rather adorable trait she had. He could relate, too.
Back on Earth, MayCee never spoke much to anyone, either. Instead, he chose to steer clear of social circles and the like, wishing to spend time alone with himself to lose himself in his thoughts, thinking about life in general and considering his dreams, hopes and ambitions for the road ahead.
When MayCee first met Fluttershy, she was, of course, quiet and shy, but when MayCee met with some of her woodland critters at her cottage that come by on a regular basis for shelter, friendly company and peace, she opened right up. MayCee adored animals, so it was an instant bonding point between the two of them.
The rabbit, though, Angel Bunny, now, he was a struggle to reason with. Animal or not, he was one aggressive little fuzzy ball. It was hard to believe that an animal as angry and as trouble-making as Angel could be Fluttershy's pet. But, she must have seen something in him to hold him dear, but what that was, MayCee had yet to find out.
MayCee felt a tingle rise up in his gut, spreading to his lungs like a wildfire, right before he began to cough and sputter again, lightly at first but then harder and harder. He stopped in the middle of his tracks in front of the bridge that sectioned the market of Ponyville to the park he was walking through and he drooped forward, supporting his weight with his hands on his knees as he continued to cough harshly.
A few drops of blood came sputtering out from between his lips as he coughed, the back of his throat feeling like he had swallowed a bucket full of razor blades, the droplets soaking the dirt below him and staining it an off-red colour. It left a strong taste of copper in his mouth, and he wiped away a streak of red hanging by the side of his lip, glancing down at the smudge it had left on the back of his hand.
His lungs burned relentlessly and his chest constricted shakily with each breath he inhaled and exhaled. There was a pain in MayCee's skull that reminded him of the time when he got struck in the head by a clay ball during a game of rounders after he missed the pitch. It was always in the same spot, the side of his skull, and it made him feel lightheaded, and although he was standing still, he felt like he was on a boat in the middle of the choppy high seas, waiting to be thrown overboard by a tsunami wave.
''M-MayCee?'' A soft voice spoke from in front of him. MayCee looked up and swallowed what was left of the blood in his mouth back down his throat. It was Fluttershy, and she was watching him with a concerned expression upon seeing his pale, sunken face and the blood smear that remained on his hand after it was wiped.
''F-Fluttershy?'' MayCee asked, his voice hoarse from the raspy, violent hacking.
''Are...Are you alright?'' She asked worriedly, heading down from the bridge with her saddlebags strapped to her back, coming to a stop beside him. ''You don't look so good,'' She said, looking up into MayCee's pale, dull and sleep-deprived eyes.
''No,'' MayCee replied quietly, still trying to catch his breath as his lungs felt like they were incinerating from the inside out.
''What happened to you? You look awful!'' She said worriedly, touching a hoof up to his hand. ''Are you okay?''
MayCee felt himself tense up at her touch, and he momentarily glanced from her turquoise eyes to her light yellow hoof. When he looked back into her worried eyes, he could see himself within her large pupils.
It was true. He did look awful. He looked as if he had crawled out of the gutter after being dragged through the streets, having survived being lassoed to a pony's legs while they were running. He looked positively lifeless and drained, as if he was a battery ready to go flat. In his own eyes, he saw that same sense of dread he felt in the doctor's office.
He still hadn't decided on how he wanted to go about telling his friends about this new development in his health, but as he stood there, gazing down into the eyes of one of the ponies he was closest to, he was able to feel her desperation. He sensed that she was worried sick about him and that she was more than willing to offer any assistance that she could offer him.
Eventually, MayCee gave a sigh and held back his misery so that he may speak to her. He lightly took a hold of the hoof that was touching his arm with both of his hands, grasping it loosely. He had lost some of his strength due to the lack of energy that came as a consequence of not being able to sleep, but he managed to keep his fingers enveloped around her hoof as he looked at her.
''Fluttershy,'' He began. ''D-Do you have a moment?''
''Of course. What's on your mind?'' She asked, only able to guess the severity of the thoughts on his mind, a judgement made from the pain emanating from his eyes.
''Can we maybe talk someplace more...private?'' He asked quietly, glancing around to the ponies scattered about the park. ''I don't really want anypony to hear this,'' MayCee said. Fluttershy's eyes brightened and she nodded in understanding.
''Do you want to follow me back to my cottage? If you'd like, you can tell me what's on your mind there?'' She offered.
''Yeah, if you wouldn't mind, Fluttershy. Thank you,'' MayCee said with a shaky but thankful smile for her kindness.
*** *** ***
Fluttershy's cottage was small but homely and cosy on the inside.
In the entire time that MayCee had lived in Equestria, he had only been to the timid, nature-loving mare's house only a handful of times, and those were all for friendly visits, which mostly involved a constant offering of tea and cucumber and cheese sandwiches while she checked in on how he was settling in to the new world.
Fluttershy knew how hard it was to find a place to settle into a new circle of friends or a way of living, but to meet somebody from another world and universe was something else entirely, so she had no idea how he might have been feeling or what he was thinking the first time she brought him home with her. He was on-edge, scared, tentative, rattled and a little shaken, but he was still mentally capable of taking in and comprehending his surroundings.
He was, of course, no different than any of the animals she already had in her care, and so, she treated him as such. She gave him a warm place to stay for the night when he had no place else to go, she made him tea or brought him a glass of water and she even went as far as cooking some of her homemade soup. MayCee practically drank the entire bowl after she had handed it to him. It was a tomato and basil soup with a hint of warming spice to boost its flavour. Not to hot, nor too sweet. Just perfect and made with love.
Fluttershy made the same soup for some of her injured animals that she was treating as they were going through the healing process. She found that it helped boost their vitality and it helped take their mind off of whatever was preventing them from standing on their own two feet, and it did the very same for MayCee.
For a very brief but pleasurable moment, MayCee had forgotten all about what had happened. The bright, surprising flash of bright light as he was walking in the rain during a storm back in his home town of Beverley, the confusion that followed as he found himself standing in the streets of Ponyville during the middle of the night during a full moon, and the gut-wrenching loneliness that had come with his arrival to this strange new word.
''Hay Seed?'' Fluttershy tried to pronounce his name, like a five-year-old testing out a new word on their underdeveloped tongue after she had asked him of it. It amused MayCee a little, and he smiled, too.
''No, May. Cee,'' He had corrected her. It was an odd name, maybe, but it was the one that he was given, the one he was assigned to, as per his family's bloodline. However, his first name was Liam. People simply called him MayCee through his life, so he went with it, not really minding the forename being used by friends and family.
Scotch-Irish, he thinks the name originated from, but he couldn't be sure.
Coming into the cottage with Fluttershy, Fluttershy lead him into her living room, where she patted the couch to gesture for him to sit down while she headed off into the kitchen to prepare a teapot for them to share while MayCee let her in on what was troubling his mind.
She was gone for a while, so while MayCee was sat by himself on the couch, he observed his surroundings and took in the inviting home that Fluttershy had built for herself.
Bird houses, perches, nests, walkways, mouse holes and small boxes occupied the entire room from top to bottom and left to right. It was impossible to glance around the living room and not find a small housing accommodation for a woodland critter or a pair of birds to live in temporarily while they visited for the day for some company.
Every single nook, cranny and skirting board in the house had some form of home for a critter to live in, and there was almost always a few animals living in the house from time to time. Usually, it was a pair of hummingbirds, one green and the other red. They came in regularly, and Fluttershy seemed pretty fond of the pair. They were always happy to help the mare out with daily chores in return for her kindness and hospitality.
MayCee leaned back on the couch and, as his head tilted back like a ragdoll, his eyes landed on a small perch a short distance in front of his face. Resting upon said perch, two hummingbirds stared down at him, the green and red pair that usually assisted Fluttershy in her daily chores.
They didn't bother him. They only watched him observantly for a few moments, their beady little black eyes staring back at him. They seemed to sense that he had something on his mind, so that's why MayCee assumed they didn't bother to come down from the perch and say hello.
He watched them for a moment or two until Fluttershy came trotting into the kitchen with a tea tray on her back, the metal clattering as a ceramic, floral design teapot was balanced on top of it along with a pair of matching cups and saucers. The clattering of the metal tray was what made MayCee's head snap back up to see what was happening, and when he noticed her heading into the room, he sat up to help her take the heavy-looking tray from her back, but she politely declined and insisted that she was fine.
She placed the tray and teapot onto a small wooden table in front of the couch, and, pouring a mug for both herself and MayCee, she offered one to him. He took it with thanks and sat back on the couch while Fluttershy took her own seat beside him.
They sat for a moment and she sipped on her tea, as did he, before she spoke up and broke the silence.
''So, what's on your mind?'' Fluttershy asked, looking up to him with patient, calm eyes, although the worry remained upon getting a closer look at his appearance. He was as white as a sheet and almost frighteningly so. He could stand in a white-walled room and it would be impossible to find him.
Tentatively, MayCee took a slow, silent sip of his tea as she watched him. He didn't look at her. He couldn't bring himself to do it at the moment. He dreaded to think of the response that the news might cause to break out, and he knew that Fluttershy, as sensitive as she is, wouldn't take it well.
He became a little distant for a moment, once again glancing about the house as he bought himself some more time to think, anything to stall and to give him even a small amount of quiet contemplation. He bit his tongue as he thought about how to tell her about his condition, but he paused, jumping a little as he felt something gentle touch his leg, breaking him out of his thoughts.
He turned to face the kind and gentle eyes of Fluttershy, a small smile upon her lips that was akin to that his mother used to give him when she was trying to reassure him, to tell him that everything would be okay, that it would be just fine and that there was nothing wrong and nothing bad was going to happen. In this case, as much as he wanted to believe it, he knew that it was going to be fruitless to resist that motherly expression.
MayCee set aside his cup of half-drank tea and his saucer back onto the tray on the small table in front of the two. He gave a hefty sigh and swallowed back another round of building-up, blood-filled haggard coughs. He didn't want to do that in front of her. It would break the poor girl's heart.
Like before, MayCee leaned forward and held the mare's hooves, after she had put down her own teacup and saucer, and he held them loosely but firmly, giving them a small, gentle rub with his thumbs. He gazed into her confused but patient eyes as she waited for him to speak.
''Fluttershy, I n-need to tell you some...something,'' MayCee stammered slightly. Fluttershy cocked her head to the side as she wondered on what he was going to say. She was always the one to offer an open ear when somepony wanted to get something off of their mind. He admired that about her. ''Fluttershy, I'm...I'm not sure how to tell you this, but I got back from the hospital earlier today, and they had my test results...''
''Wait, test results?'' She asked, one of her brows raising slightly. ''What test results?'' His grip on her hooves tightened slightly, now firmly grasping her, but it wasn't enough to make her squirm. He knew that she could feel him tense up, and, if anything, her worry began to rise. She knew that it wasn't going to be good news, and that was based upon both his appearance and the way he was acting.
''A few weeks ago, I...I began to feel sick. Like, really sick, Fluttershy. I began to cough, and I eventually began to cough up blood,'' Fluttershy winced at that. ''Not only that, but I began to get terrible, terrible head pains and I found it hard to sleep. I even began puking almost every few hours or so, and I lost my appetite. I don't know why or how it started, but I went to get myself checked out, and, well,'' MayCee trailed off as he felt tears welling in his eyes.
''And? What happened, MayCee?'' Fluttershy asked, inching herself closer towards him, stopping about a couple of inches away from him. Now she was very concerned about his well-being. Scared, even. His eyes said it all. He was scared, too.
''Th-The doctor,'' He began, feeling his throat clog up with a building sob that he forced to remain hidden. Not like this. He didn't want to break down like this in front of one of his closest friends, especially not Fluttershy. ''He t-told me th-that I...'' He failed in holding back his concealed tears, and Fluttershy gasped as he collapsed forwards into her hooves.
He fell straight into her shoulder and she gave a gasp of surprise as he rested his head against her cheek, pressing up against her and finding himself unable to control himself as he cried away like a young child. Fluttershy only comforted him in the manner which she was most used to.
Fluttershy patted his back and gave it a small rub while she cooed softly into his ear, and it seemed to work, as evidenced by his cried gradually dying down and reducing down to a sniffle. It took her a few minutes in order to calm him down, and she let him stay there, cuddled into her side like a mother comforting her upset son.
She didn't mind in the slightest. She held onto him and gave him a small hug, and she felt how cold he was to the touch. The coldness that transferred through him into her bones sent a chill down her spine, and she rubbed him to try and generate some of her own warmth, but it didn't do any good, despite her best efforts.
''Are you alright?'' Fluttershy asked as he pulled himself away, and she continued to maintain her concern as she faced him fully. Looking into his glassy, glazed-over eyes, the blue that made them almost completely colourless in appearance, Fluttershy felt like she was only looking into cloudy white where eyes once existed. ''What's wrong, MayCee?'' She asked softly.
''F-Flu-Fluttershy,'' He began, sniffling heavily and wiping his eyes and nose. ''I-I have only a f-few weeks t-to...to l-live!'' He said, wanting to cry, and he felt the urge to, but he couldn't. He was all dried up and his system was exhausted of any and all tears.
''What?!'' Fluttershy nearly shouted, exclaiming loudly upon hearing those last words leave MayCee's lips. Her eyes went wide and her lips trembled, a light but visible vibration as the information processed within her stunned mind. ''What do you mean?''
''T-The illness, the reason why I've been f-feeling sick,'' MayCee said as he calmed himself down enough to speak without his voice cracking up and giving in to his turmoil. ''He told me that I have cancer,'' He finished, and that last word caused a pregnant pause in the atmosphere to appear.
Fluttershy sat quietly, her body unmoving and her expression blank and void of emotion. She even seemed to stop breathing, her chest hardly visibly rising or falling as she took in short, shallow breaths through her muzzle.
MayCee felt uncomfortable in the silence that came from the butter mare, and she only stared right at him, which further discomforted him. Well, at least, he thought she was staring at him, deeply into his inner soul, but she could have easily have been staring right through him and at the wall behind him. He couldn't calculate anything out of her.
What was she thinking, exactly? What was going on in her mind?
MayCee saw her lips part very discreetly before they began to move more evidently as she tried to speak, her voice soon coming back to her as her eyes and face remained blank.
''A-Are you sure?'' She asked. ''You were diagnosed with cancer?'' She asked, and MayCee gave a slow, broken nod of his head, humming, 'Mmm-hmm' as he did so.
That did it. Her body began to tremble and her lips began to quiver while her eyes began to shimer and become glazed over with steadily-brewing tears. She sniffled and she began to visibly shake, as if she had caught a frosty breath of air, and a cry began to crackle within her throat before she snapped herself around MayCee's chest, clutching herself tightly against him.
MayCee stumbled back from the surprise embrace, and Fluttershy did as he did, pressing her cheek into his before she erupted into a sobbing, weeping mess, the tears coming instantly. She rubbed up against him and shoved her face into his like she was trying to morph her DNA with his own, to become one with him.
Her sobs filled the air and he held onto her, consoling her like she did for him all those years ago upon entering the land of Equestria by some mysterious phenomenon. His large hands encased her, one holding her sleekly curved hip while the other worked on her upper back, rubbing it below the neck area, caressing her soft and well-cared for coat, silky and as plush as a fluffy cloud.
''N-No!'' She wailed. ''You...You can't die! You just c-can't!'' She continued to say between her tears, her chest heaving and her eyes shimmering like polished teal diamonds as she broke away to peer into his eyes.
''Shh,'' He shushed her, patting her back and trying to get her to calm down. ''It's alright, Fluttershy,'' He told her. He began to stroke her pink mane as he continued to shush her. Seeing a mare like Fluttershy cry was somehow a whole lot worse than seeing any other pony cry, and to witness it first-hand, MayCee felt like someone was slowly driving a stake through his heart.
''B-B-But you can't die!'' She whimpered like a crying puppy. ''You can't! It's not f-fair!'' She wailed, and MayCee pushed her away from his chest so that he could directly gaze into her tear-welled eyes. It was amazing how bright they seemed in spite of the sadness coursing through her being. They were like ponds of water that were being warmed up by the dim yellow rays of the afternoon sun.
''I know, Fluttershy, I know,'' He said, returning to holding her hooves. ''I don't want to leave you or anypony. I don't any of this to happen, but it's not up to me. It just happened,'' MayCee said, surprised by how calmly he was speaking. ''The doctor told me that I should use this time to get my affairs in order and to tell my loved ones how much I care about them, but...'' He trailed off, suddenly distracted by another line of thought.
''But?'' Fluttershy asked, sniffling and wiping her eyes.
''But...But my family won't know about this. There's no way of them knowing what's going to happen to me. Besides, I'm not going to say my goodbye's just yet, Fluttershy,'' MayCee said, and he gave the mare a small smile. She looked at him confusedly.
''What do you mean?'' She asked.
''What I mean, Fluttershy, is that there's...one thing left that I wanted to, well, you know, do, but I never knew how to go about asking it of you,'' He began, becoming a little embarrassed about the inquiry he was about to propose to her.
''Oh, really?'' She asked. ''You wanted to ask me something? What?'' She was intrigued by the desire that made itself known on MayCee's face, and if she could possibly lend a helping hand to anyone in the time before their final day on Equestrian soil, then Fluttershy was going to go all out in trying to make it a reality.
''Well, Fluttershy, I know this might sound kinda s-strange, but I w-was wondering i-if you would...'' He stammered, already feeling his nerves prick at him like burning icepicks. His cheeks began to flare up, too.
''Y-Yes? What is it, MayCee?''
''Would you, oh, I don't know, like to g-go on a-a d-d-date with m-me?'' He asked slowly and awkwardly, and he immediately felt stupid for having asked such a thing of her. It was beyond stupid, actually. She was one of his closest friends, for crying out loud! It was a bit strange to ask one of your friends out on a date!
Fluttershy blinked and she took a moment to respond, wondering if she had heard that right. A blush began to burn on her cheeks, rosey against her light yellow coat. It was funny, really: her coat looked more like a beaten egg with milk and vanilla extract after being whisked thoroughly together.
''You...You want to go on a date?'' She asked in disbelief. ''With...m-me?'' She asked slowly. MayCee rubbed the back of his neck awkwardly, averting his gaze from hers for a moment.
''Honestly? I like you, Fluttershy. I mean, still as a good friend, but also maybe something more,'' He began, and Fluttershy's face flushed brighter as he spoke, and her lips remained sealed but they took on a hint of schoolgirl-ish giddiness, a held back girly giggle.
''You were the first pony that took me in to their home and made me feel comfortable when I first came here. I know how strange it might sound, Fluttershy, but I think I started to take a liking to you after I first saw you,'' MayCee admitted, holding her shoulders and giving them a small rub, and she tensed slightly from his gentle but affectionate touch. ''I really do l-like you, and I...well...,'' He trailed off again, and Fluttershy tilted her head at him.
''It's alright, you can tell me if you'd like,'' She said softly, unpressuringly coaxing him into finishing his sentence. All the while, her heart throbbed behind her ribs. She was anxious to hear what he was going to say.
''Listen, if we do this, can we do it as regular friends? A normal day together, like nothing ever bad happened?'' MayCee asked. ''It would really mean a whole lot to me if I could spend my final hours with you, Fluttershy,'' He told her, one of his hands cupping her cheek, his eyes gazing into hers, and she saw that he was desperate for her to give a positive answer.
Fluttershy didn't say anything for a solid minute as she took MayCee's offer into consideration, running mental checks and an analysis of the situation. She was the very first friend that he made in Equestria, and it was very sweet of him to want to spend his final moments with her, but the final request that he had asked of her still caught her off-guard.
There was an open window of possibilities and opportunities he could have asked for or undertaken to fulfill his dreams during his final days in Equestria, and the only thing that he wanted was to go on a date with Fluttershy? She was flattered and touched.
''F-Fluttershy?'' MayCee asked, nervous about her silence. ''You alright?'' He asked, and Fluttershy blinked, suddenly breaking out of her daydream and she became sheepish.
''Huh? Oh!'' She said, realising that he was waiting for an answer. ''MayCee, I...I'm flattered, really, but are...are you sure this is what you want? There's nothing else that you'd like or want to do?'' She asked, to which MayCee gave her hooves a light squeeze as he looked into her eyes.
''Of course there is,'' He said. ''There of plenty of other things that I would love to see and do before I go, but, to tell you the truth, I only really want to spend my last days with you, Fluttershy. You're all I want right now,'' He told her, and Fluttershy's face became beet-red.
''O-Oh, my...'' She murmured. ''...That's so nice, MayCee,'' She said, her eyes sparkling. ''You really want to spend your time with me?'' MayCee nodded.
''Yes, I do,'' He told her. ''It's all I want to do, Fluttershy. Please, would you help me?'' He asked pleadingly, giving her a small pout to emphasize his desire to fulfill his wish, which only she could help him accomplish. Surely, a pony as sweet and understanding as her wouldn't deny a dying man a last request, would she?
Fluttershy gave a soft, sweet and warm smile and answered with, ''Yes. Yes, MayCee, I'll help you.''
MayCee thanked her by hugging her as tightly as he could, which wasn't very tight, due to the muscular exhaustion he was suffering. It was more like a firm hold, not too strong, nor too light, but somewhere in-between. He nuzzled a spot behind her ear.
''T-Thank you, Fluttershy! Thank you! You have no idea how much this means to me!'' He thanked her, more than grateful for her crushing kindness.
He felt Fluttershy's warmth transfer through his shirt and onto his chest. It made him feel so comfortable and safe, like he could sleep in her embrace. From this position, he was close enough to be able to catch a whiff of the shea butter wafting into his nostrils from her hair.
Being this close to her made a random but true thought arise in the back of his mind. He felt his eyes become moist as the thought thickened in the confines of his tumour-filled skull. He was lucky that she never caught on to it.
He thought about when his time was about to run out and Death came knocking at his front door, scythe in hand and clad in a drooping, musty-smelling, tattered black hooded cloak. He wouldn't be able to melt into the embrace of Fluttershy once he was gone, and he would no longer have the ability to interact with her physically, to speak to her, to touch her, to be the friend that he is now. He would be forced to give everything that he loved up to the cold, dead hands of awaiting demise.
There would be no more birthdays, celebrations, festivities, laughs shared between friends, joyful moments together, and there would be no more happiness, only a dark black void where his place once resided within this world.
And what of his other friends? Rainbow Dash? Applejack? Twilight? Rarity? Pinkie Pie? Not only them, but their relatives, such as The Cutie Mark Crusaders, Sweetie Belle, Scootaloo and Apple Bloom? How would they all react? Picturing the broken, crestfallen faces of the three fillies whom he had met before and taken an instant liking to, forming a friendly bond with them, he imagined how distraught and inconsolable they would become after hearing the news.
The mare held in his arms, his best friend in this new dimension, would likely take it harder than the others. She was the one that he first opened up to and built a rapport with. She was the first one that he found a common interest in, and she was the one that had helped him find his place, a cushy job helping out around Sweet Apple Acres with Applejack as a farmhand, a position that the orange mare was more than happy to offer.
That job with the Apple Family is what bought MayCee his first house, which was nearer to the edge of the town of Ponyville than most houses, placing him directly next in line to Fluttershy's cottage, which made visits a breeze. Whenever he could, they would spend time together, and that meant that she was the one that he had a deeper, more pronounced connection with. The thought of her torn up about his death stabbed his heart.
With these thoughts in mind, he pulled her closer to him and he held her close, snuggling into her. He didn't want to let her go, even if the rules of mortality abide his wishes. Dead or alive, he wouldn't let his affection for the butter mare cease.
''Fluttershy...'' He whispered beneath his breath, feeling a bell-bottomed tear slide free from between his clenched eyelids as he held her. She didn't hear him speak. She was too busy losing herself in the embrace. He liked to think that she felt the same way.
''So, what did you have in mind?'' Fluttershy asked as she rested her head against his chest, her eyes rolled up to look at him. Something told him that she was enjoying this close-quarters contact more than she should.
''Where would you like to go? Haycaccino for some tea and something to eat? A walk in the park? Maybe a trip to the spa? Finish up with some alone time?'' MayCee offered, laying out a mental draft of a planned day. He thought about the alone time at the end, just them two, two friends enjoying each other's company in the peaceful and cosy cottage, and it instantly felt the most appealing. He had always loved spending time with her.
Back on Earth, it was Abbie that he'd spend his time with, his first true girlfriend, and they would spend every second, minute and hour they could whenever they had the time to spare. 'That's what best friends do', is how the saying goes.
''That sounds wonderful,'' Fluttershy said. A part of her also looked forward to that last part, about spending some alone time together. It made her feel giddy inside.
*** *** ***
That afternoon, MayCee and Fluttershy spent the rest of the day together around Ponyville, ticking one activity after the other off of the mental list of things MayCee had told Fluttershy he had in mind.
They first headed to Haycaccino in the centre of town where they shared a blissfully aromatic round of perfumey Pearl Grey tea, a favourite that both MayCee and Fluttershy shared. It was nothing different than the Earl Grey that he had drank back at home, and it made him laugh how very identical pony brands were to human brands.
It was a very peaceful afternoon that they spent together, enjoying each other's company, aside from the occasional sputtering that broke out in MayCee's lungs, forcing him into a haggard and shaky round of coughs and raspy gasps. He forced himself to hold back the phlegm and pockets of blood-stained mucus, as not to upset Fluttershy or to make a scene in a public area, but he still got a line or two seeping out of the corner of his mouth.
He would wipe it away as soon as it appeared, not wanting anypony to see. His coughing did attract some attention, and even some concern among some of the ponies that he had had a few light-hearted conversations with, such as Lyra Heartstrings, Berry Punch and Derpy Hooves, but he would always insist that he was fine. He didn't want to worry them, and he certainly did not want to be repeating the bad news everywhere he went. He would do that sometime later, perhaps ask Fluttershy to pass on the news if ponies asked about his absence. If not, maybe he could do it in written form.
The time passed relatively slowly as the two friends sat together at Haycaccino, and they spoke about the good times they had together through the years. Although it was obvious that she was concealing her emotions, Fluttershy's face held undertones of fear and sadness as she made eye contact with MayCee. She did an outstanding job shielding her inner and deepest feelings when she wanted to, but, in this case, it was very evident and apparent that it was hurting her severely.
After their visit to Haycaccino, they headed into Ponyville's public park. It was bustling with activity, as always, foals and their mothers and fathers out for family walks, other children enjoying their day off school and hanging out with friends and flying kites while others were having picnics together. MayCee gathered enough to understand that the ones having a picnic together were marefriend and coltfriend.
As he was walking by with Fluttershy, he watched them from afar.
The mare, a young and pretty girl with vibrant blue eyes and a coat to match with a white mane, nuzzled her partner and he, a stallion with amber eyes, caramel coat and a toffee mane, nuzzled her back.
They were both sat together on a red and white checkered blanket to create a plush surface between their rumps and the solid, green-grassed ground beneath them. Beside the stallion was a glass of sparkling champagne, which he passed over to her, smiling. The mare drank it and she gasped when she felt something tap her nose upon finishing up the boozy drink.
MayCee stopped still in his tracks and he noticed that the item that had tapped the mare's nose was a golden wedding ring. Her eyes shined like glitter when she pulled it out and her coltfriend spoke the words to her, silent from MayCee's distance, but he knew that he said, ''Will you marry me?''
After that, the two embraced as the mare showered him with a bombardment of love-filled, excited kisses.
That was the strange thing about ponies. You'd think that they might have a wedding ring designed to fit their hooves, but you'd be wrong. Come to think of it, MayCee can't recall ever seeing a single married pair of ponies wearing wedding rings to signify their courtship to each other. What, did they buy them just so they could be put on display in their houses on the mantle by the fire? Was it something they did to propose to each other but it only served the purpose of nothing more than a reminder of the happy moment of their partner agreeing to marry them?
That was when MayCee's thoughts were snapped by Fluttershy nudging his leg. He blinked and looked down to her, seeing her eye him with curiosity, wondering what he was doing.
''Is everything alright?'' She asked, and then she glanced towards where he was once looking, viewing the now-engaged couple. Her lips curled up into a smile at the sight. ''Aw, that's so sweet, isn't it?'' She glanced back up to MayCee, and he gave a slow, sad nod.
''Y-Yeah,'' He replied, his tone void of life. ''It is. It really is.''
There's another thing that I won't live to do, He thought to himself. Not with Abbie and not with anyone else. His eyes turned to Fluttershy, whom was still watching the engaged couple. Especially not with her.
MayCee held back a sigh and he continued to walk along with Fluttershy, the new and heart-wounding thought in his mind that he wouldn't live long enough to find true love and to propose to the girl of his dreams. It caused a bitterness to brew within his gut.
Walking along with Fluttershy, they both headed towards the opposite end of the park, of which opened up into a large open field, the same spot where Rainbow Dash normally practices her stunts and flying tricks. It was the perfect spot to spend some quality time together, mainly due to nopony every spreading out this far.
It was flush with lush green grass, so vibrant and full of life that the chlorophyll sang. There was a large, ancient oak tree up by the top of the field, up by a hill, and there was a thick and rich canopy of dark green leaves sprouting from the branches sprouting out from the top of it.
MayCee and Fluttershy headed up towards the tree in the middle of the desolate field, taking a seat by the tree trunk, their backs pressed against it. The shade provided by the tree that protected them from the afternoon sun's reach was refreshing and welcome. It gave way to a coolness that both the human and pony embraced.
Fluttershy, in particular, sighed upon sitting herself down beside MayCee, only just touching his hip with her own. She was so beautiful, even in the shade and away from the light. Her eyes were still as bright as a neon sign, her turquoise irises glowing rings of natural poetic beauty. In the eyes of MayCee, she looked like an angel.
Looking at her, his mind mentally played that Marvin Berry song, Earth Angel. He had heard the song time after time to the point where it was permanently lodged into his memory banks, and he had never known meaning of 'beauty' or 'romance' in the days where he lived back on Earth. But, after coming to Equestria, finding Fluttershy and getting to know her, he had developed an understanding of those two terms.
He leaned back slightly against the trunk of the tree and lost himself in his thoughts, Earth Angel still playing in his head. He asked himself if all of this was real or not. Was he already dead? Was that white flash he witnessed that brought him to Equestria the frosty clutches of Death claiming him and Equestria was the afterlife? It sounded at least plausible enough.
They say that you go to a better place when you die, so that begged the question ''Am I?'' in MayCee's mind. All of this happiness, the fluff and the adorableness of the landscape and the creatures that lived in it. Was this a weird variation of Heaven? Was this the Heaven? Was this the Last Stop?
MayCee considered this and his hand absentmindedly drooped from his lap to touch against Fluttershy's hoof. He felt her jump from the contact, and her head turned to see his hand touching her, glancing down at it before she looked up to face him. He slowly turned his head to look down at her and he smiled.
Fluttershy's cheeks ignited softly and her lips trembled in that schoolgirly way, the same as before. It made MayCee's heart flutter warmly, and he'd be lying if he said he didn't at least feel the smallest bit giddy himself.
''You're blushing again,'' He said softly, amused by her expression. Her blush burned deeper, taking on a colour akin to Turkish Delight. She hid part of her face with her curtain of pink mane.
''Oh, s-sorry,'' She muttered, embarrassed.
''Don't be sorry. I like it. I think it's cute,'' MayCee said, and Fluttershy gave an audible giggle, now shying away from him as her face warmed up and glowed bright red. The sound of her giggles tugged at his heartstrings.
''M-MayCee!'' She said, gasping as she rubbed her chest with her hooves, as if her heart was about to break free from the protection of her ribs. She faced him and her eyes gazed deeply into his, and she seemed to forget that she was speaking to a terminally ill friend, and instead at just a good friend with the heart of a hopeless romantic.
''Yes?'' He said, smiling with one part of his mouth pulled upwards.
''Since when did you become so affectionate and charming?'' She asked, her face dreamy.
''I've always been like this. You just haven't seen this side of me yet,'' He said, reaching a hand towards her and placing it gingerly against her shoulder, his thumb rubbing it in that tender way that made him feel more like a husband romancing his wife. It made her swoon softly, her body giving a shiver to the pleasure it brought to her.
''O-Oh!'' She gasped breathily, her nerves giving a small jolt to the pressure being applied to her shoulder. ''S-Stop! It tickles!'' She said through giggles.
''I can't help it,'' MayCee said. ''I love hearing you giggle,'' He said, amping up the intensity of the shoulder massage, and it worked as he intended.
Fluttershy gasped sharply and her face continued to glow, her lips sputtering heart-melting giggles all the while. MayCee knew that he probably shouldn't be teasing her like this, but her spouting of giggles and girly laughs were too comforting and alluring to his ears for him to cease his actions. He couldn't get enough of it!
''S-Stop!'' She gasped again. To her request, he reluctantly stopped, pulling his hand back as her laughter died down. MayCee laughed to himself, but his laughter soon came to a halt when his lungs began to burn and he sputtered like a dying car engine. His back bashed against the old, thick bark of the tree with each deep, breath-stealing hack.
Fluttershy's hoof patted his back as he coughed, and he thankfully stopped, his body coming to a rest as he went back to being motionless as he sat still against the tree trunk. He gave the mare a thankful smile, struggled through the lack of energy in his body from the coughing fit. She watched him worriedly and leaned over to him, a hoof resting on his lap.
''Are you scared?'' Fluttershy asked, pushing herself closer to his side, physically touching against his body. She winced from how freezing he was. It felt like she was touching an ice cube!
''I am, actually,'' MayCee admitted, lifelessly sagging his head to the side to see her beside him. ''Terrified, really.''
''MayCee, can I ask you something?'' She asked.
''Go ahead.'' She blushed softly again and diverted her gaze for a moment.
''Why did you want to go on a date with me?'' She asked.
''Well, I...'' MayCee began, thinking about the best way to go about answering her. This time, he blushed. ''I wanted to ask you on a date because, well, I...l-like you,'' He said, and Fluttershy's face became hollow.
''What?'' She asked, almost inaudible.
''I like you, Fluttershy,'' He repeated. ''I like-like you. Look, I don't want you to feel uncomfortable, but I did have a girlfriend in the past. She was the only girl that I ever felt a real connection with, but I'm never going to see her again. I don't want to admit to it, but I know it's true, no matter which way I sniff it. With you, Fluttershy, you remind me of the bond that I shared with her, and I felt it almost as soon as I met you,'' MayCee said.
''What was her name?'' Fluttershy asked. ''Your girlfriend, I mean?''
''Abbie. Her name was Abbie.''
''And you see her in me?'' MayCee nodded. ''I...I don't know what to say, MayCee.''
''You don't have to say anything, Fluttershy,'' MayCee said as he held her cheek again. ''Abbie was the best thing that ever happened to me back on Earth, and you're the best thing that happened to me in Equestria. When I'm with you, I don't care about the rest of the world. You're the only thing here that makes me truly happy. If I'm not going to be around much longer, then I wouldn't have it any other way.''
Fluttershy didn't say anything. She took in everything that he had told her, trying to decipher it. Her heart slowed while she tried to comprehend all that he was telling her. It shocked her to hear that he liked her in that particular way, and she was flattered.
MayCee and Fluttershy did always have fun together whenever they got together. She found a common bond with him, too, as he had told her. She had to admit it to herself that she also felt something when she saw him for the first time. It didn't take her long until she began to feel something stronger, more dominant, a sensation that bubbled within her heart. However, she was still unsure if what she felt was love.
She cared ever so strongly for him and she cherished his friendship. So, she was nervous when he asked her,
''Tell me, Fluttershy: do you feel something, too?''
She didn't know exactly how she should respond. She began to feel her nerves ringing while her heart in her chest pulled. She bit her lips and she drew in a breath, looking into his eyes closely.
''Y-Yes. I do,'' She said. Her heart skipped a beat. ''I think I've known for a while.''
''I have, too,'' MayCee said knowingly. One of his hands found the yellow mare's hoof again, and he gave it a soft squeeze. She pulled herself closer to him and gave it a squeeze back.
''Hey, Fluttershy?'' MayCee said. She looked up at him, waiting. ''Do you want to skip going to the spa and go back to my place? We could spend the rest of the day with just us two, maybe watch a film together, if you'd like?''
Her lips curled into a smile, liking the idea. ''Sure,'' She said. ''I'd like that. But first,'' She said, looking in front of her across the field towards the horizon. ''Can we sit a while longer? Enjoy the view?''
''Anything for you, Fluttershy,'' MayCee said, bringing an arm around her shoulder, pulling her closer to him. She squirmed at first but then settled into it, resting her head against his shoulder, finding herself to become comfortable within moments.
When she thought about it, it was moments like this that she was going to miss when she would no longer have MayCee in her life. She hated the thought of not having him in her life. She hated to know that he was only an estimated few weeks away from succumbing to his illness.
Out of the corner of her eye, a warm tear creeped down the side of her face and dangled at the bottom of her cheek before it fell and absorbed into the grass below.
*** *** ***
MayCee's house wasn't anything too special or decked out in the way of décor. Instead, it was what could only be described as homely.
His living room was of medium size, and it granted the space for a comfortable living arrangement, leaving enough space for a couch with white upholstery, a small armchair, of matching colour, and even a small but colourful rug on the floor. The rug was actually a gift from Fluttershy for a housewarming present.
Like her, the rug was a soft yellow that matched her coat and it had diamond patterns on it that corresponded to the colour of her eyes. Also, like her, it was incredibly soft and plush.
Across from the couch in the middle of the room, there was a TV mounted up onto the wall. Ponies didn't have an abundance of technological advances in their world, but the TV was one of them, and this one, a flat screen, was one of the very latest. Ponies had only recently started to make some breakthroughs with their research, and it was impressive how much they had learned in such a short span of time.
Phones were even becoming a reality in the pony world, but they were only at the early stage of development, which meant that they only existed as payphones in certain Equestrian cities. Manehatten had a few and Fillydelphia had a couple, but Ponyville didn't have one at the moment. That wasn't due until a month later.
Sitting on the couch, MayCee and Fluttershy sat side-by-side as the film they were watching was reaching its climax. MayCee let Fluttershy pick the film. He didn't mind much. It was a romance film, something that he had seen before but liked enough to sit through it a second time. It was called Maybelle, and it was the story of a young mare's dreams and aspirations to become a famous seamstress in the big city.
Maybelle was a pretty decent film, which was released about a year ago. It was a dramatic story full of heartache, tenacity, creative prowess and, of course, love. Maybelle was just finishing up an order for an important client after getting her dream job as a clothes designer, and the stallion that she had fought to impress and please had entered the room, his 1950's style suit dapper and his eyes keen.
He held Maybelle's hooves, he pulled her close and he proceeded to plant a soft peck on her lips before whispering, ''I'm so proud of you'' into her ear. The screen faded to black before the credits started to roll.
MayCee glanced at Fluttershy, seeing that her eyes were sparkling. The events in the film had taken its toll on her, her hooves pressed up into her chest, putting pressure on her touched heart. MayCee stroked the side of her mane, giving it a light caress.
Her mane glided between his fingers, so soft, so delicate, so inviting. Another thing he was going to miss. She didn't turn to face him, though. She allowed him to stroke her mane.
MayCee paused in his stroking of her mane for a moment and he leaned towards her, bringing up a hand towards the underside of her eyes, wiping away some of her tears with his fingers. That was when she turned to face him.
''MayCee?'' She asked softly.
''Hmm?''
''I don't want you to leave me,'' She said, right before she hugged him. Her hooves pulled at his back, gripping him like earlier at her cottage, right after he broke the news to her. ''Please, don't leave me,'' She whimpered. She had started to cry again, but lightly.
Wow, where did that come from?
MayCee stroked her mane again and rubbed the back of her ear soothingly, and she melted into it like a dog would when their owner tickles their sensitive spot. He continued to do this for a while before an idea came to his mind, a lightbulb flickering on and glowing in his head.
''Hang on, Fluttershy. Wait here,'' He told her, ceasing with stroking her mane and tickling her ear and getting up from the couch. He disappeared into a different section of the house, off to where his bedroom was located, leaving Fluttershy alone for a couple of minutes. When he came back, he was holding something in his hand, something wooden.
Sitting down on the couch beside Fluttershy again, he presented the item to her. ''Here,'' He said, holding it out to her. ''This way, you'll have something to remember me by when I'm gone.''
''What is it?'' Fluttershy asked, curious as she took the item in her hooves and rested it upon her lap.
It was a small wooden box, no bigger than your average necklace box, and the wood appeared to be well-aged. Mahogany, if she guessed correctly. Whatever was in it had a decent weight to it. Opening the box, Fluttershy fully raised the lid to see what was contained inside. Her eyes widened when she saw it.
''Is that...?'' Fluttershy gasped when she saw it.
''Yeah, it is,'' MayCee said. ''I know it's strange, but I want you to have it.''
MayCee reached into the box and pulled the item out, holding it in front of her face. It was a necklace, but the pendant was not a jewel or some kind of elegant stone. Held on a sterling silver chain was a small hand-painted pendant of Fluttershy herself.
The paint was professionally added to the metal pendant, capturing Fluttershy's features in all of her glory. She was in a half-step pose, giving a full side-view of her being, from her head down to her hoof, every last detail focused upon. Her mane was flowing and her eyes glistened in the paint. Her cutie mark of three pink butterflies was also added.
MayCee slipped the necklace over her head and allowed it to dangle around her neck. It jingled before it settled. Fluttershy reached a hoof up to it and inspected it. She looked back up confusedly at MayCee, wondering.
''But...how?'' She asked. ''How did you get this?''
''Believe it or not, that was in my jeans pocket the day I arrived here,'' MayCee said. ''Funny how the pony on the pendant was nothing more than a character on a children's animated TV show, and I met and became friends with said pony,'' He said. ''I bought it as a present for my little sister. I was going to give it to her, but...'' He motioned around him with his hands. ''...Yeah. I didn't exactly make it, did I?''
''I don't get it,'' She said with a blink. ''Where did it come from?''
''A place called the internet,'' MayCee said. Fluttershy opened her mouth to speak, presumably to ask what this 'internet' thing was, but MayCee stopped her. ''It's basically a global shopping centre where you can buy literally anything imaginable,'' He told her, giving her his best summary. ''There's actually a necklace with each of your friends on it, too. I picked yours because, well, my sister absolutely adores you. In fact, she'd be incredibly jealous if she knew I got to meet you before she did,'' MayCee said.
''Aw, that's thoughtful,'' Fluttershy cooed. ''Your sister adores me?'' MayCee laughed.
''Yep! She never stops talking about you. All day, 'Fluttershy' this and 'Fluttershy' that! She even wants to be a veterinarian when she grows up because of you! You've got an admirer in her, Fluttershy!'' He said, nudging her shoulder. Fluttershy giggled.
''So...what's your sister's name?'' Fluttershy asked, letting go of the pendant.
''Jackie,'' He told her.
''Jackie,'' Fluttershy repeated, letting the name test itself out on her tongue as she spoke in a hushed tone. ''I like it.'' She said, and she leaned towards MayCee and she kissed his cheek. ''Thank you.''
MayCee went stiff as her lips touched the skin of his cheek. He slowly reached a hand up to where her she had kissed him and he blinked, looking at her blankly. She giggled and blushed.
''Y-You're welcome,'' He said. ''I know it isn't much, but I don't exactly own many things. The only things I do have, aside from the necklace, are my personal belongings that I had on me the day I arrived here. You know, nothing more than my wallet full of the currency I had in it, my rucksack with a few notebooks from college, a couple of pens and my uncharged phone,'' He said.
''That doesn't matter to me, MayCee. I like the necklace. I don't really want anything else from you. All that I'd like is to spend all the time I can with you before...'' She trailed off.
''Hey,'' MayCee said, nudging her in a friendly manner. ''It's alright. It'll be alright, Flutter---''
''No, it's not going to be alright!'' She said, not quite a shout, but rather a harsher tone of voice, amped up from her regular speaking voice. ''I won't see you again, MayCee! None of us will! You've been here for so long and you've settled into all of our lives that...h-having you leave l-like that, I...'' She trailed off again as the tears built up, but none fell free.
''Fluttershy...'' MayCee said, hugging her tightly. He rubbed his cheek into hers and snuggled into her plush, fluffy coat. She began to shake and vibrate in his arms as he held her before her own hooves locked around his back.
''I don't want you to leave...'' She said, sniffling and possessively clinging onto him. ''I don't want you to go!'' She wailed.
''I know, sweetheart, and I don't want to go, either,'' He said, patting her back as he also began to cry. ''But there's nothing I can do about that now,'' MayCee then pulled away and as he did, he kissed Fluttershy on the lips.
Fluttershy's bodily immediately grew tense and her nerves took on the physical properties of iron, her eyes shrinking as his lips pressed into hers. It only lasted for a moment before her body became warm, oozing butter, and she applied pressure into his lips to deepen the kiss.
The two of them kissed together as if it was the very last time that they would get the chance to do so, making every second count. If there was anything that MayCee could do to prove how me he cared for the mare in his arms before he left, it was this. Sometimes, words are not enough to show how genuinely a person cares about somebody else that exists in their life, and therefore, there is always a substitute.
Fluttershy made cute moaning sounds during the kiss, which pressed on for a few minutes, and the bliss flowed through them. Fluttershy found herself to be wanting more out of the romantic gesture, and she pressed her body closer against MayCee's, trying to intertwine herself with him.
His hands snaked and flowed up and down her body as he continued to smooch her, and she did the same. She had never been kissed by anypony before, and certainly not one of her dearest and closest friends, but now that she no longer had to guess what it felt like to partake in a loving smooch, she found herself to be loving the sensation.
By the time MayCee broke away, his face was sweaty and burning red with a hot blush, Fluttershy's the same. They both panted for breath and Fluttershy's face was locked in a dreamy state, her lips still moving gentle as if she was still engaged in the kiss they had shared, her eyes closed.
''W-W-Wo-Wow...'' She murmured. Her eyes slowly opened and her overjoyed, excited eyes gazed loving into his. ''So, that's how you feel about me?'' She said, still gasping for air.
''Y-Yes,'' MayCee gasped, also winded from the kiss. ''I really love you, Fluttershy,'' He told her. ''You have no idea how long I've wanted to do that,'' He said, blushing harder and brighter, as did she.
''You...love me?'' She breathed, giggling. ''I really love you, too, MayCee,'' She said.
''I never had the courage to say anything. The only girl that I've ever spoken to in life was Abbie, so being able to tell you how I felt was difficult without making a fool out of myself,'' MayCee admitted. ''I've been wanting to tell you for such a long time, and now that I doubt I'll be around much longer, I guess there's no better time than the present,'' He said, deflating on that last part.
''Nopony's ever kissed me before,'' Fluttershy told him, rubbing her leg awkwardly. ''But I'm glad it was you, MayCee. I'm going to miss you,'' She said sadly.
''Hey, don't miss me until after I'm gone,'' MayCee said, holding her shoulder. ''Besides, we've still got plenty of time left to spend together, haven't we? Maybe not as much as we'd like, but we've still got some time, at the very least. And I don't intend on letting it go to waste, Fluttershy,'' He said.
''W-What do you want to do?'' Fluttershy asked, and MayCee held her hooves and gave one of them a small peck.
''Fluttershy,'' He said. ''I want to go out there and live a little. And I want you to come with me,'' He finished, Fluttershy's eyes growing wide.
''What?'' She gasped. ''You want me to go with you?'' She asked, suddenly becoming confused. ''Go where, exactly?''
''Around Equestria. See the land, experience the beauty, see what this world has to offer. I've been in Ponyville all of my life, Fluttershy, so I think it's about time I got out there to see what else is in this magical land,'' He said. ''I couldn't think of a better pony to come along with me than yourself, Fluttershy. What do you say?''
Fluttershy rubbed her hooves together anxiously as she thought about this. She had been around Equestria to some exciting places with her friends from time to time, all the way from Saddle Arabia to Mount Eris to Appleoosa to Yakyakistan. She's even been into some of Equestria's major cities, such as Manehatten and Canterlot. She supposed it has been a long while since she's traveled around and seen the world, and it would be nice to see it with MayCee.
''I think it's a wonderful idea, MayCee,'' She said, giving him a small smile. ''I'd love to go.'' MayCee enveloped her into a hug in an instant, giving her a beaming smile as excitement coursed through him, and he forgot for a moment that he was ill-fated.
''Thank you, Fluttershy!'' He said gratefully, lifting her up from her seat and embracing her. ''I can't thank you enough! We're going to have so much fun together on the road!''
Fluttershy giggled and hugged him back, happy to have been able to make his day, despite the negatives. She smiled and said,
''Don't mention it. Seeing you happy is worth it.''
