For Richard, several minutes to an hour had seemed to passed unnoticed as all attention was placed upon the little mare currently nestled in his lap, relaying to him an emotionally-centered recount of the day, of which may have included a significant degree of detail that would have captivated the deathclaw to no end, had it not been for the underlining reality that almost all of it was of course, spoken in horse. Also coupled with the fact that the mare's voice was set to a whisper by default and that during several instances the pegasus had to pause, either to collect her thoughts or receive the much-appreciated-but-secretly-needed ear scritches and heat pats that could only be properly distributed by a certain deathclaw in order to continue, and it was suffice to say that this whole ordeal was as taxing on the deathclaw patience-wise as it was interesting. But then again, considering that Richard's schedule for just about every day was comprised primarily of sleeping, snacking, and scratching himself, this little exchange wasn't entirely unwanted.

So again, for several minutes to an hour, Richard listened with tilted head and slightly wagging tail to whatever it was that had caused the little mare to pay him and his friend this oh so emotionally-charged, unexpected, but not so unwelcomed visit of hers. And when she was finally done, she looked up at him the same way a puppy would, with eyes that hinted at expectation, yet seemed to practically scream for attention.

She's definitely got Richard's attention, that's for sure. Now just what was she expecting? A head pat? A smile? Maybe some reassuring words given by you know who?

Because if that's what Fluttershy was expecting when she continued to silently stare up at Richard with those unexplainably large eyes...well who was Richard if not a slave to cuteness?

"Well...heh heh. That definitely sucks...whatever that is that you were talking about. Like a lot. Heh, uhm."

"...?"

Yeah this wasn't working at all.

Okay...well she's still looking like she's expecting something from him, so...head pats maybe?

Pat Pat

Alright, well she definitely liked that, but still...okay then how about that smile?

...

Yeah, okay that wasn't it either. The hell?

Hmm...well I'm out of ideas. Let's go back to Richard then, shall we?

"Okay then." Richard growled to himself before turning to the little lizard standing beside him. "Mind helping me out here, Badass?"

Having heard the whole story himself and already having accepted the reality that he was the de facto translator, Badass happily nodded his head before darting up the deathclaw's body and coming to a halt at his usual perch atop the larger reptile's head, just between his two curved horns. The little lizard then spent the next few minutes to an hour filling Richard in on what the mare had been trying to convey to him the first time. And while Badass was unable to replicate the full emotional edge that Fluttershy had seemed to present, he was still able to get a majority of the important bits across to Richard, while only ever stopping on several occasions so that he could have the mare repeat certain facts simply for the benefit in clearer understanding of her listener.

And boy, was he listening alright.

In fact, Richard was so engrossed in what the little lizard above him was saying that he hadn't yet realized that once Badass had gotten passed the part where Fluttershy had been yelled at by her friend that he had been growling rather loudly until Badass had to pause in his story-retelling and Fluttershy had to tap him, with a shaking hoof, several times that the deathclaw finally blinked and glanced down, noting the mare's blatant worriedness, before apologizing and further ceasing all unintentional utterances. After that, Badass finished the last bits of the story uninterrupted and the reptile, along with Fluttershy, now sat in silence, patiently awaiting what their friend had to say after all that.

"Well..." Richard growled after several long moments of silence. "As much as I want to call complete bull on all that. Maybe...sigh...maybe your friend's right, Fluttershy."

"...Neigh?!"

"So...when we get there, what are we going to do, sugarcube?"

After a bit of walking, Twilight responded.

"Simple. We confront Fluttershy and the creature."

"...And what exactly do you mean by that, Twi?"

There was a bit more of silent walking before she responded again.

"What I mean, Applejack. Is that when we get to the castle, we find Fluttershy, rescue her from the monster, and if need be, use the elements against it."

"Right." Applejack said, not sounding so sure.

"Applejack." Twilight said, glancing at the farm pony behind her. "Is something wrong?"

"It's nothing sugarcube, it's just..." She bit her lip.

"Just what?" Twilight inquired.

"Well...I've been thinking."

"Oh? About what?"

"Well, it's just that...after telling us everything about her going to see the monster and such, I'm starting to think that maybe we've been taking all of this the wrong way?"

"..."

"I mean, don't get me wrong sugarcube. I want to make sure that Fluttershy's safe, same as anypony else here. But after all that she's told us, maybe we're, I don't know, taking things a bit too far?"

"...Is that so?"

Applejack, after a bit of further consideration, made up her mind and nodded.

Twilight, after a bit of silent walking, stopped, with the rest of the girls stopping behind her shortly after. She then turned and after eyeing Applejack, turned to regard the others.

"And what about you girls?"

Looking amongst one another, the other girls were quiet a moment until finally somepony broke the silence.

"Well, darling." Rarity said after hesitantly raising her hoof. "Despite that creature's...appearance. If dear Fluttershy feels so adamant about there being good in it, well...why not hear her out one last time, hmm?"

"Hmm...what about you Pinkie? What do you think?"

"Uh-huh! I agree with Rarity!" Pinkie Pie said, stepping forward. "And Applejack! And Fluttershy!" She then paused and, after looking off to the side for moment or so, turned back to address Twilight. "And the comments too!"

"Uh-huh. Wait, what comments?"

"Nothing!"

"Oh...kay then. Well...Rainbow Dash?" Twilight said, to which the prismatic pegasus looked her way. "What do you want to do?"

"What do I want to do?" The mare repeated before huffing rather angrily. "What I want to do is give that lizard one hay of a hoof-sandwich!" She then bumped both her front hooves together before she suddenly faltered at Applejack's expression "Sigh. But...I also want Fluttershy to be happy so..." The mare then growled. "So I don't care what that thing does so long as it doesn't hurt Fluttershy! Eh-uhm...or something, I guess."

Blinking, Twilight was not expecting that little outburst, least of all from Rainbow of all ponies, considering her dislike for the creature being nearly on par with her own. Then again, it also seems reasonable to assume that when regarding friendship-making, it really does come down to what they want over what you want for them, huh?

Returning to silence, the purple unicorn seemed to consider the words of her friends for several tense moments before, with a heavy sigh, the mare hung her head in what was to be a defeat realized one potentially ruined friendship too late.

"You know what? Maybe...sigh. Maybe you girls are right." She was quiet for a moment. "Maybe...Fluttershy's...right."

A small shiver went down the mare's back. And whether or not that was over the fact that she was either admitting her failure in handling previous situations like a reasonable mare or coming to terms with the reality that yes, even smart ponies can still make dumb decisions was, and likely forever will be, up for debate.

But luckily for Twilight "Smart-But-Not-So-Smart" Sparkle, she wasn't alone in this little endeavor of hers. And one of them was going to remind her of that."

"Ahh. Come now sugarcube." Applejack said, resting a hoof on her friend's shoulder. "Don't you go thinking that you've only got yourself to blame for all this." She then blushed. "I mean, I wouldn't exactly be the element of honesty if I didn't admit to my own mistakes. No pony's perfect."

Twilight looked up, her eyes slightly watery.

"R-Really?"

"Eeyup."

"Sniff. Thank you Applejack." She rubbed at her eyes. "That, I really needed that."

"No problem, Twi."

"Soooooo." Rainbow Dash said walking up to the two. "Now that that's settled, are we still going to go "save" Fluttershy?"

Looking at the pegasus, then at the general direction of the castle, Twilight was again silent a moment before she finally made up her mind.

"No, Rainbow. But we are going to go apologize to her."

"And what about Mister Lizard?" Pinkie suddenly added in. "Are you going to say sorry to him too?"

"..."

"Sugarcube."

"I'll...I'll get back to you on that later, Pinkie."

The doors to the throne room of the ruin castle were pushed open and aside with a bit more force than usual as Richard lumbered passed the threshold, a low and somewhat irritated hiss escaping his maw as he made his way across the carpeted floor.

"B-But what do you mean that Twilight might be right?! I-I though that you would be against such a thing in the first place?"

"..."

"Look Fluttershy! As I had said before, even though your friend is one hell of a raging cunt, I just think that things would be a hell of a lot easier if you just, I don't know, didn't visit me and Badass for a while. That's all!"

"But...But...But what if I don't want to?! What if I want to visit you and Bad-as everyday?!"

"..."

"Okay, that's actually really fucking nice, I will admit. But you only just met me a couple of weeks ago. What about your friends?"

"They- I don't want to see them anymore."

"..."

"Oh come on, you don't mean th-"

"But I do!"

"..."

"..."

"I...I do mean that! Every word of it!"

"I...can't believe it." Twilight whispered as she listened from around the corner of the hallway leading towards the throne room doors. "She, really doesn't mean that, do-does she Applejack?"

Sitting besides the mare, Applejack rested a hoof on her drooping shoulder.

"I-I'm not quite sure myself, sugarcube." she then looked over to Rainbow Dash who was peering around the corner. "What are they doing now, Dash?"

"Not sure. The big lizard just sat down, and I think I see a tiny lizard too."

"I tiny lizard?"

"Yeah, an orange one, on top of the big one's head. Not sure what's the deal with that, though."

"Oh oh! Lemme see!"

Suddenly appearing below Rainbow's head, Pinkie Pie peeked around the corner, watching as the little lizard appeared to talk to Mister Lizard who, after hearing whatever it was he was told, he shook his horned head and uttered a low growl at Fluttershy, followed up by a short roar near the end.

"Huh. Looks to me like Mister Little Lizard's acting as the translator between Mister Lizard and Fluttershy."

"Really?" Rainbow Dash asked, raising a brow down at Pinkie before looking back up. "How can you tell?"

"Isn't it obvious?" Pinkie Pie asked.

"No, not really." Rainbow responded.

"Well I think it-"

"Hush the both of you!" Rarity whispered sharply. "Some of us are still trying to hear!"

"...Sorry, Rarity."

"I...if they can't see that there's good in you, like I can, then...then what makes them think that they can boss me around like they did? Like...like Twilight did?"

"..."

"Fluttershy-"

"Well I had it! I had enough of their bossiness! I'm a big mare! I can make my own decisions! And if anypony else says otherwise, then...then..."

"Fluttershy!"

"Then...then...then they can just go jump off a cliff!"

Gasp

"FLUTTERSHY!"

With a roar of her name, the mare all but froze, her pent up aggression having suddenly disappeared as instantaneously as finding herself suddenly engulfed in the claws of her friend.

Blinking, the pegasus slowly looked up and into the sad eyes of her friend, with his smaller friend looking down at her from his perch, noticeably worried as well.

"Fluttershy." He quietly growled. "I get it. You want to be friends with me and that's okay. But at the same time, is our friendship really worth the friendship you have with your five other friends?"

"I-I..."

He then squinted at her, an edge in his growls and hisses.

"And don't you even think about lying to me or else you can just forget our friendship too."

She went silent after that.

"...N-No." She finally said, looking up at him. "Sniff, it isn't worth it."

Hearing that, or what his little friend up top had translated to him, his features immediately softened, and there was even a hint of a smile too.

"See? Now was that so hard to admit?"

"I-It was."

"..."

Hearing that from Badass, Richard chuckled before finally releasing the mare from his awkward hug and, after taking a few steps back, fell to all fours in order to continue this little heart-to-heart of theirs eye-to-eye.

"I'm sure it was for you. But that's just real life, Fluttershy."

"But-But I don't want to leave you alone!"

"..."

"Heh. Now who said that I'd been alone? I still got Badass here to keep me company." He looked up. "Don't I, buddy?"

Squee!

"Hell yeah." He then looked back at Fluttershy. "So there you have it, Fluttershy. You don't have to go worrying about me. Not like I'm gonna pass without you coming to check up on every day." He then carefully booped her on the nose with a raised claw. "And neither are you. Okay?"

Looking up at him with sad eyes and just the cutest of scrunched muzzles, she finally nodded, if a little hesitantly.

"O-Okay."

"Good. Now that that's settled, why don't we-"

"C-Could I ask you for something?"

"..."

"Oh. Alright then...what can I do for you, Fluttershy?"

With a light blush, the pegasus seemed unable to meet the deathclaw's eyes as she hoofed at the floor, her wings slightly ruffling behind her.

"Could...Could I-" She took a deep breath, then several. "C-C-C-Could I...p-pet you?"

"..."

"You. Want to pet. Me?" Richard growled slowly, trying to fully understand the mare who, after blushing harder than he'd ever seen her, nodded. "Huh."

"I-If that's okay with you!"

Looking at the mare, who at this point was trying and relatively failing at hiding her entire face behind her mane, Richard just couldn't help but laugh. Sure he tried to hold it in, keep a straight face and all that. But after all that emotional shit he had just gone through with her not a minute ago, there really was no point in holding anything back. So yeah, he laughed his ass off. And yeah, that also made the mare blush even harder, if that was even possible.

But luckily once Richard was done, he had somehow found it within himself to actually grow up and give the mare what she wanted.

"Heheh. Oh what the hell, sure."

At that, Fluttershy blinked before hesitantly peeking out from behind her mane.

"R-Really?"

"..."

Now, rather than outright answer her, Richard chose instead to lay down, tucking his back legs forward while simultaneously crossing his front claws together , then resting his head atop said claws. And after uttering a whispered hiss to Badass, who nodded and relocated to a spot on the floor beside him, Richard then simply tilted his head, raised his brow just ever so slightly, and replied to her question with a question of his own.

"Well?"

Blinking, Fluttershy was quiet a moment before she began to slowly approach the awaiting deathclaw. And she remained silent up until she stopped just a few inches short of his snout.

"S-So you're still okay with me petting you?"

"..."

"Yup. Just be careful of the horns, yeah?"

"Oh. Okay then. Well...excuse me."

Raising a shaky, outstretched little hoof, the mare carefully placed it atop Richard's awaiting snout. There was then a brief pause before Fluttershy began to move the side to side, earning a happy little hiss from Richard, much to her relief.

Now feeling both relieved and just a bit more braver, Fluttershy then began to move her hoof upwards, petting the top of Richard's head while also keeping mind to avoid his horns.

"I'm not petting you too hard am I?"

"..."

"Heh, No Fluttershy, you're good."

"Oh, okay then."

"...Hmm. If you don't mind me asking, there a reason that came along with this little request of yours?"

"O-Oh! Well..." She paused in her petting. "Since you liked petting me so much, I just thought I'd...do the same."

"..."

"Is that so, eh?" Richard growled, to which the pegasus could only blush before silently nodding.

"Well, in that case...thank you, Fluttershy."

"..."

"Fluttershy?"

Raising his head, Richard stared curiously at a silent Fluttershy, her hoof still outstretched despite an apparent absence of deathclaw.

"Fluttershy? What's wro-ONG!?"

Gasp

Rather sudden and completely unexpected, Richard found himself at a loss as the timid mare he'd been conversing with not a second ago was now literally upon him, having leapt at him for no apparent reason as she wrapped her hooves around his snout, much to his verbal displeasure.

"Eh?! Fluttershy, what are you- hey careful, watch the horns!"

Still adamant on hugging his face without rhyme, reason, or care for possible impalement, Fluttershy continued her silent sneak attack all the way up until she was forcibly pried off by Richard. Now having his face freed, Richard took a moment to steady his breathing and beating heart before looking back at the mare now dangling by the scruff of her neck.

"Okay, Fluttershy. Mind telling me why in the fuck you thought that was even remotely a good idea?"

Fiddling with her mane, the mare was silent for a moment before she Looked back up to Richard's awaiting features.

"W-Well...I just thought I'd hug you. You know, for being a good friend."

Glancing over at Badass, the little lizard quickly filled him in.

"Really. That's all?"

She nodded.

Now for a moment, Richard just stood there, pony in claw as he tried, and failed, to find the reason behind Fluttershy's reason for glomping his face. And after several moments of coming up with nothing, he sighed, placed the pegasus slowly back on the floor, and sat down, stretching his legs passed his arms as he looked down at the crazy, yet insanely cute pony before him.

"Honestly Fluttershy, it baffles me that you can do stuff like that, yet still have trouble talking to your friends."

Hearing that, the mare blinked before lowering her head to sad realization.

"S-Sorry."

"..."

"It's quite alright Fluttershy, just next time? Warn me before you do something like that, okay?"

She nodded. Then paused a moment before looking back up at him.

"Then, could I do it again? Hug you I mean. I-If that's okay with you."

"..."

Blinking, Richard tilted his head at her.

"Really? You want to hug me again?"

She nodded, and Richard couldn't help but glance at Badass as he too simply tilted his head.

"Uh...sure, I guess. Just not the face again, okay?"

Smiling, the mare uttered what sounded like a a little woo-hoo before she approached the sitting deathclaw and, after standing up on her back hooves, spread her front hooves wide and gave Richard what he could consider the smallest and awkwardest hug he'd ever received, in this new world at least.

Several moments then went by before Fluttershy finally met her hug-quota for the day and stepped back from Richard with the smallest of smiles on her face.

"Feeling better?" He asked, to which she cutely nodded before suddenly lowering her head again. What now?

"Something else wrong, Fluttershy?"

"It's just...what should I do now? About my friends, I mean?"

"..."

"Well I'm sure talking to them should be obvious."

"B-But...hmm...sigh. You're right." She then looked up at him. "When do you think I should."

"..."

"Well...as soon as possible, maybe?" Richard said, scratching his chin while absent-mindedly glancing upwards.

And then he froze.

"Or maybe right now, actually."

Blinking, the mare raised a brow at that before realization finally sunk in. And slowly, ever so slowly, she peered over her shoulder at the sight of her five friends quietly staring back.

In a word, Twilight and the girls were bucked.

How did this come about?

Well, it all started not a few moments ago after having been properly consoled by Applejack, Twilight had been under the impression that after having heard what Fluttershy had said thereafter, the chances of them all making up was next to impossible. And that assumption alone was what had almost sent the mare into shock had it not been for the monster's outburst.

And after that, Twilight, Applejack and Rarity were soon beside Rainbow and Pinkie in an instant as they all watched the monster grab their friend, an action which almost sent an angered Rainbow Dash their way had it not been for the quick act on Applejack's part to grab the mare by her cyan tail.

Luckily though, it didn't take long for the girls, mainly Pinkie, to recognize the telltale hints of a hug, an unharmed Fluttershy being both an adequate giveaway and undeniable evidence to her words bearing truth.

"I-I can't believe it." Twilight whispered after seeing the creature then release their friend, who seemed to be in higher spirits from whatever it had said to her. "Fluttershy-...the monster...everything she said."

"Shoot, sugarcube." Applejack quietly added in. "Still think she's fibbing now?"

"I-I..."

"It is rather hard to believe, dear." Rarity said, brow raised as she watched the creature carefully boop Fluttershy, an action the mare found cute, if not obviously un-monsterish.

"Aww. See Twilight? Mister Lizard really was just misunderstood." Pinkie also added in before her tone suddenly became a tad softer. "Poor Mister Lizard."

"I don't know." Rainbow said, squinting at the creature as it then began to laugh at the yellow pegasus after she had said something to it, or at least that's what it looked like from where she was standing. "I still think that thing she stay away from Fluttershy."

There was then a moment of silence as the girls observed the creature lay down in front of Fluttershy, and after several questions were silently raised in regards to why, their answers were then brought to light as the timid mare approached the prone beast. Then after several moments of bated breath, the girls watched in stunned wonder as their friend began petting the creature as if it were some oversized dog.

"She's...petting it."

"Seems more like it's letting her pet it to me."

"Hmm...I do wonder how rough those scales of its are."

"Hehe. If he likes pets, I wonder if Mister Lizard also likes belly rubs."

"Huh. Well Dash? Think that critter still shouldn't be near Fluttershy?"

"...Shut up, Applejack."

Small comments aside, Twilight and the girls simply couldn't believe just what they were witnessing. And even more so finding it difficult to keep quiet about it despite the need to remain undetected. Luckily enough however, what Fluttershy did next had caught the monster off guard physically more so than it did verbally for the girls.

GASP

"What the hay?!"

"Woah nelly!"

"Oh my!"

"Wowwy!"

"What the buck?!"

Yes, it seemed that all it took for both parties to go full tilt was for Fluttershy to suddenly and rather violently hug the ever-loving shit out of the creature. And, judging from the surprised roars and hissing, the monster was completely caught unawares and thus was left blind, both figuratively and literally, to the other girls as they witnessed, with wide eyes and hushed expressions, his violent receiving of a hug to the face.

"Wh-What is Fluttershy doing!?"

"It's attacking her!"

"More like she's attacking him, darling!"

"Hugging him's more like it!"

"Twi, should we do something?"

"I-I...I don't know?!"

Yes, suffice to say, Twilight and the other girls were at a total loss on how to proceed. Should they intervene? Should they yell out to their friend to stop? Keep going? Or should they just watch and see how things progress?

Well they were watching when the monster finally peeling Fluttershy off of its face, and they were still watching well after when it seemed as though the monster forgave the mare. And then they heard that Fluttershy wanted a redo on that hug from earlier.

"Seriously?" Rainbow breathed, tilting her head. "Does she really think that that lizard's going to let her hug it again after that stunt she just pulled? Why if that were me, I'd-"

Rainbow then paused when she and the rest of the girls heard the beast hiss something, then Fluttershy did that little woo-hoo thing of hers before approaching the creature and once again hugging it, only this time, she aimed for a regular, if not awkward-looking, around-the-waist hug.

"Aww, now that's more like it!"

"Indeed, darling."

"Shoot, never took Fluttershy for the direct type."

"Scoff. As if, she's just like that because he's a big dumb lizard. Right Twilight? ...Twilight?"

As one, the girls looked to their friend, finding the mare more or less at a loss for words as she stared ahead.

"What's the matter, Twilight darling?"

"Monster."

"What was that, sugarcube?"

"Staring."

"Uh, Twilight. You're not exactly making sense here."

"At us."

Blinking, the other girls looked to one another before seeing the realization in eachother's eyes, and as one, slowly turned to see not only the monster staring back at them, but also, to a more or lesser worrisome degree, Fluttershy.

"G-Girls?!" Fluttershy gasped, taking a step back from her friends. "W-What are all of you doing here?"

Seeing that the jig was in fact up and that an immediate answer was not only wanted but demanded, Twilight, being the take charge mare that she was, responded first. She would then regret it immediately after.

"W-What are we doing here? W-What are YOU doing here?!"

Hearing this, Fluttershy blinked before shaking her head and stepping in front of Richard, all the while donning the best resentful look she could muster.

"Oh me?" she said, brow raised and frown doubled. "I'm just spending time with my real friends."

Hearing this reassurance of their acknowledged friendship, Badass made a happy little squee noise, a sound that earned a passing smile from the yellow pegasus before she quickly returned to 'Serious Shy.'

Also hearing this, Twilight and the several other mares in the room visibly flinched from that little verbal swing to the feels, drooping ears being one such giveaway.

"Fluttershy darling." Rarity said, taking a step forward before retracting it as the mare's eyes focused on her. "S-Surely you don't-"

"Oh but I do!" Fluttershy interrupted. "In fact, I'm starting to think that he's the only one who actually cares about me!" She then turned to look up Richard, who couldn't look more confused about all of this even if he tried. "He actually listens to me, cares about what I have to say, cares for me! Unlike some mares."

"Now you wait just a minute, Fluttershy." Applejack said, stepping up to the plate. "While I'll admit we haven't been the best of friends to you as of late, saying something like that is just plain unfair."

"I'm being unfair?" Fluttershy quietly repeated, causing the farm pony to freeze.

She then snapped to the mare, eyes ablaze.

"I'm being unfair?!"

She took a step forward. The others took a collective step back.

"I didn't hunt down a creature just because it sounded dangerous." And another step. "I didn't want to fight a creature first just because it looked dangerous." And yet another. "I didn't try to kill a creature just because it thought that we were dangerous." She paused in her advance, having successfully backed the girls into a moral corner. "But no. Because even after all of that, after all I did to prove to my new friend that my other friends and I weren't dangerous AND that he should forgive us for our mistakes...which he did!"

"He did?" Twilight asked, blinking slowly alongside the others.

"I did?" Richard growled, tilting his head after hearing Badass translate that last bit.

"Yes. He did." Flutters said, nodding once before continuing. "And yet, I'm the one who's still unfair?"

With ears drooped and cheeks crimson-colored, Applejack knew that the pegasus had a point, and after having driven home that point several dozen times over, she could do nothing but pull her hat down below her eyes and make a strategic retreat to the rear, blond tail tucked between her legs.

"But Fluttershy!" Rainbow said, dashing ahead of the others in order to face the pegasus next. "Do any of us need to actually remind you that that lizard you're defending almost tried to kill you?!"

"Maybe he did." Fluttershy said after pausing for a second of consideration, before shaking her head and returning to her uncharacteristic show of stoicism. "But maybe, maybe he just wasn't thinking straight."

"Wasn't thi-? Do you even hear yourself right now, Fluttershy?!" Rainbow yelled, pointing a hoof at the creature behind her friend. "That big, dumb, THING, almost ripped you to shreds and yet you're STILL defending it!"

Staring down the cyan-maned mare, Fluttershy remained silent a moment before her features suddenly grew more serious then they ever had before, and that definitely threw Dash for a loop.

"Rainbow Dash." Flutters said, so slowly and quietly that it seemed to send a shiver down the mare's back. "You can see me standing here. Right?"

Dash blinked.

The question, though insanely, obviously, undeniably rhetorical in every sense of the word, was a question that she just wasn't expecting from the mare, like at all.

"Wh-huh?" She said, head going full tilt as she tried to piece together a coherent response. Well, coherent-er response.

Fluttershy continued.

"I said," she said almost unemotionally, "Do you see me, right now, at this very moment, standing in front of you?" She then glanced at the others standing silently behind Rainbow. "In front of all of you?"

Though the others nodded, if only hesitantly, Rainbow was still a bit slow on the response.

"I-, yes?"

Fluttershy nodded.

"Good. Now, if what you say about Mister Lizard being just a monster is true, why am I still standing here?"

"Uh..."

"In front of all of you."

"Uhm...Well-"

"Alive."

"..."

Seeing as Rainbow was in no way able to come up with anything worth even a quarter of an counter-argument, Fluttershy let slip the tiniest of smug, shit-eating grins before she coughed into a hoof and turned to the others, a brow slightly raised.

"Anypony else?"

The others looked to one another, quiet, silenced either by their fear of losing an uphill battle of words or just downright fear of this new, serious, take-charge-and-give-no-shits-in-return Fluttershy.

"Heheh, well you don't have to worry about me Fluttershy." Pinkie said after her own bout of silence. "I always had a feeling that Mister Lizard was good the whole time!"

"And I'm glad to hear that, Pinkie." Flutters said, giving the party pony a genuine smile before it shifted to a deep frown. "But that still doesn't mean you're completely forgiven. You should've been more vocal with the girls about Mister Lizard actually being nice."

The pink pone flinched at that, and judging from the way her mane seemed to literally deflate a bit just from that comment alone was proof enough that despite her apparent innocence in this whole matter, she still felt just as responsible as though she were damning Mister Lizard to Tartarus herself.

"Hehe, yeah...you got me there, Fluttershy."

Nodding once again, Fluttershy then turned to the last mare who had yet to offer up her own two bits in this ordeal.

"Rarity?" She simply asked.

"Darling." Rarity simply responded.

"Do you have something to say about Mister Lizard as well?"

At that, the white unicorn paused, glancing up at the lizard in question who had yet to actually do anything sides from uttering the occasional hiss or tilting his head when given the reason to, before locking eyes once again with the pegasus patiently awaiting her response.

"Honestly darling?"

"Uhmm."

"Well, up until this point while I only ever considered the creature behind you nothing short of an absolute, unintelligible brute who's only real goal was to use you for sating its own nefarious needs."

"B-But..?"

"But...being the fashionista that I am, it doesn't take a perceptive eye for anything and everything fashion to see that you do care for this Mister Lizard." she paused, glancing at the creature before continuing. "So much so in fact, that if it makes any the difference, then I will not stand between either of you."

Fluttershy was surprised. Now this was certainly unexpected for sure.

"R-Really, Rarity?"

She nodded, smiling.

"Why of course, darling! I mean, how could I keep calling myself the element of generosity if I simply hogged my friends all to myself?"

Wow. That was actually a really grownup thing to say, and coming from the mare who said it? The same mare who'd faint at the sight of her little sister spilling juice on one of her dresses? The mare who managed to literally whine her way out of slavery at the paws of a pack of diamond dogs? Yeah, that very same mare.

In fact, that statement alone was just what Fluttershy needed to hear as the pegasus succumbed to her emotions entirely and galloped up to the mare before proceeded to hug the ever-loving shit out of her, tears openly streaming down her face and onto the unicorn's pristine coat, the unicorn who, though slightly grimacing at that little fact, sighed nonetheless as she accepted her friend in a much-needed embrace, hoof slowly stroking the mare's shaking back as she wept the pain and relief away.

And, needless to say, the emotions currently being displayed also seemed to be rather infectious as the other girls also seemed to find themselves reduced to a similar teary-eyed, hug-needing state, and one by one, the girls all joined in what had now become a hell of an emotional group hug. A group hug that could only ever be conjured up from the deep bond shared among only the closest of friends. A group hug that not even the steel-nerved Rainbow Dash herself was immune to as she too joined in the mess of limbs and tears following only a temporary hesitance and the beckoning of a certain orange mare.

Course, while this scene of absolute friendship was playing out, none could find themselves more at a loss of words, or in this case hisses, then Richard as he and Badass remained the only silent spectators to this heart-felt spectacle.

"Well...this was rather unexpected and sappy, huh Badass?"

Squee

"Heh. Yeah, sure. If this little reunion means that they're friends again then...then I guess I can't really say anything, now can I?"

Sque Squee!

"Yeah, you've got a point there. Maybe now, we can try and set things right?"

Squeek

"Okay now that's just pushing it."

Squee?

"But-"

Sque!

"Uhh. Fine. Silver-tongued little shit aren't you?"

Knowing that the probability that the little lizard atop his head was currently sporting the biggest shit-eating grin it could muster was absolute, Richard sighed heavily as he let the girls have an extra minute or two to really empty out their tear ducts before he stood back up on his hind legs and slowly made his way towards them.

Upon hearing and seeing his approach, the girls quickly broke from their hug, with Twilight and company taking a few steps away from a slightly amused Richard while Fluttershy found herself uncomfortably in between.

Coming to a full stop, Richard looked down at the little ponies, noting their looks of hesitation tinged with a hint of fearfulness. His gaze also seemed to linger just a little bit longer on a certain purple unicorn, who only narrowed her eyes in response. Course, this only earned a deep and rather unsettling chuckle from the deathclaw before he turned to the the pegasus next to him.

"Fluttershy." He growled, earning the mare's full attention. "Could you please tell your friends that I want to have a...a truce, I guess?" He looked up. "That right, Badass?" And Badass nodded. "Yeah, let's call it a truce."

"Really? A-Are you sure?"

"..."

"Yeah Fluttershy, I am. Now tell your friends, please?."

Blinking, the pegasus stared at Richard for a moment before she caved upon his raised brow and informed her friends of his request.

And their response?

Well, they didn't necessarily seem completely opposed to it. Least that's what Richard though when he saw all of them look at him as if he were the most shadiest dealer on the block. Yup, they weren't buying his shit not one bit. And of course none were more suspicious then the purple plague that was that damned unicorn, as she was the one who had been the most vocal to said request, with little miss skittles being a close second.

However, Richard knew full well that they'd obviously respond like that, being the scared little herbivores that they were. And by that course of logic, it only seemed logical, if not downright plain fucking obvious that in order for Richard to garner interest, and with that, willing cooperation, he needed something a little extra to swing opinions in his favor. And what wouldn't gain instant attention like some bait? Say...a carrot on a stick?

"Fluttershy?" He hissed, to which the mare looked up at him. "Could you also please tell your friends that by offering this truce, I would also be willing to offer up myself in any way that'd further prove my innocence?"

Fluttershy flipped.

"Wh-What?!" She yelled, much to the surprise of the others. "Bu-But why?!"

"..."

"Heh. Because I'm just that serious, Fluttershy." Richard simply said, much to the pegasus's stuttering dismay. "Besides, I'm pretty sure your friends wouldn't believe me if I didn't pull something like this, right?"

"Bu-Bu-But, but you can-!"

"Yes. I can. Fluttershy." Richard said, cutting the mare off as he already knew what she'd probably say and thus needn't to wait for Badass to translate. "And I will. Now, would you kindly tell your friends? Please, Fluttershy?"

Blinking, the mare stood silent a moment as she looked into Richard's eyes, hoping to see some hint of falsity. To call his bluff. But she couldn't. She just couldn't. He really was serious about this, wasn't he?

"O-...Okay."

Turning back to her worried friends, Fluttershy hesitated a moment before she revealed to them his proposal, and as he had expected, they took the bait. Sure there was a great deal of shock and surprise on their end if the gasps and excited whinnies where anything to hint off of, and sure the ring leader herself still looked to be in disbelief of the whole thing, but after hearing whatever Fluttershy had said to her, along with some unintelligible words from a orange, white, and pink ones as well, it seemed as if the mare had been swayed, and she seemed to look up at Richard with an expression that he could've sworn was full-on guilt intertwined with...admiration?"

'Just what did that she say to that girl?' Richard thought. Course if anything, Richard was just glad that they were all now more inclined to play nice. Granted, he was still curious on what had been added onto his proposal in order for the purple one to see reason, but whatever. The carrot had already been bitten into five times over and that was more than enough.

And now it seems that Miss Purple is coming over.

Blinking, Richard raised a brow as the purple unicorn approached him, her expression seemingly neutral and contrasting to the very relieved look that Fluttershy was sporting as she walked alongside her.

"Oh? You're approaching me?" Richard growled, to which the two mares halted just a few feet from him. "Got something to say?"

Staring up at him, the purple one remained quiet for a moment before she suddenly bowed her head.

"I'm...sorry."

"..."

"...Excuse me?" Richard hissed.

"...W-What'd he say?" Twilight asked.

"He asked for you to repeat that." Fluttershy responded.

"Oh! Uhm, well I'm...I'm sorry. For everything."

"..."

"For...everything?" Richard repeated.

"Fluttershy?"

"He's not sure what you meant by 'everything.'"

"Well...everything is...everything! The fighting. The magic. That trap from before. Heck, all that time that I've spent thinking you were just some mindless monster Tartarus-bent on making a meal out of us when you were actually an intelligent, caring creature!" She took a few breathes after that. "So, I want to apologize for being nothing but a threat to you. For hating you for no reason, and rushing to conclusions when I should've stopped and actually listened to Fluttershy when she said that you weren't just another heartless...THING from the Everfree. So I'm sorry. I'm so sorry. I'm so very sorry!"

"..."

"Oh?" Richard hissed, tilting his head as he narrowed his eyes to study the mare's features for any sign of a deception. Yet as he stared her down, smelled her even, he could detect no sign of deceit, nor catch even the faintest whiff of a lie. And considering just what he was and what he was capable of, this mare currently prostrating herself was either a master of deception, or was simply just telling the truth. Regardless, Richard couldn't help but chuckle deeply, causing the girls to all look up at him curiously, Twilight included. When he was finished he nodded at the unicorn.

"Alright then. I forgive you."

"What."

"WH-WH-WHAT?!" Twilight yelled, startling everypony in the room besides Fluttershy, who simply smiled after having told her Richard's answer. "Just like that?! Bu-But I don't understand!"

"..."

"You heard me, Purple." Richard growled, amused by her little outburst. "I forgive you. Simple as that."

"E-Excuse me?"

"But...just like that?" Twilight repeated following Fluttershy's translation, still at a total loss. "Why? H-How?"

Now following Badass's translation, Richard raised his left hand and clenched it, leaving three razor-sharp claws up to the mares' confusion.

"Three reasons." He growled, taking two claws away. "One, because Fluttershy told me to." He added the second claw. "Two, because if I didn't, then Fluttershy would hate me." And then the third. "And three, because I just don't give a fuck."

"I-I never said I'd hate you, dummy." Fluttershy quietly said, blushing slightly much to Twilight and the other girls' confusion before she repeated everything to Twilight, which in turn only made the mare more confused than ever before.

"I...you...what?" Twilight slowly said, trying to comprehend Richard's thought process before altogether succumbing to the utter nonsense that was his reasoning, sighed heavily as a result, and after a moment of silence, actually chuckled.

"Heh. You really do care about Fluttershy, don't you?" She asked, smiling sadly. And after he was informed by the little lizard atop his what Twilight had said, Richard casually growled his response back.

"Oh please. Out of the six of you, not only was she not scared of me when we had our first little encounter, but she actually came looking for me after that. Even had the nerve to come alone." He then paused, glancing at the pegasus and noting her crimson complexion with a deep chuckle before continuing. "And Let's not forget all those times she's ventured through the forest just to visit me and my little friend. Now that takes one hell of a pair." There was then another brief pause as Richard also allowed Badass to add in a squeaking praise of own, causing the pegasus to blush even harder in the process. "That's right Badass, can't forget she's also a beast of a woman who commands respect without even trying." He then turned back to Twilight, confused as she was. "So to put it simply, little Miss Purple, you can thank my reconsideration of peace to the little yellow pony beside you."

Wow. Just...wow. That was certainly one hell of a response. And no pony could dare to agree more than the butter-yellow pegasus seemingly at the center of it all. And following a few moments spent recovering from her initial shock and embarrassment following that slew of compliments all directed at her, Fluttershy spent the next few moments relaying everything that Richard had said to Twilight, even including Badass's little comment that certainly, if not definitely, sent a few eavesdropping heads turning. And of course after hearing and seeing Fluttershy repeat all that, as well as seeing the reactions of her friends, the purple one's especially, Richard just couldn't keep from sporting the toothiest grin he could muster. Hell, even Badass was caught smiling too, little cheeky fuck.

But of course, all good things must come to an end, and in this case, Richard and Badass had to reign in their enjoyment as Twilight approached the massive lizard, a determined look on her face that was only slightly diminished by her slightly reddened cheeks, which may or may not have been due to hearing one of her close friends be drowned in compliments by two reptiles of drastically opposite sizes.

"Ahem. Choice reasonings aside," Twilight said, glancing at a still very red Fluttershy before smiling up at Richard. "I'm so glad that you chose to forgive me and my friends! It truly means a lot to know that you're not actually the big bad lizard we-, well...I thought you out to be." She then took a step forward. "So...with that being said." And to everypony's surprise, Richard's and Badass's included, offered a raised hoof and an abashed smile. "Why don't we start over? Hi! My name is Twilight Sparkle. Wanna be friends?"

"No."

"..."

"A fresh start, eh?" Richard said, raising a brow and mulling the idea over for about a five seconds before he finally chuckled and shrugged his massive arms. "Oh what the hell. Sure, I'll play along."

"No!"

Smiling toothily, Richard then raised a claw of his own and took a step forward, reaching towards the mare's awaiting hoof.

"It's a pleasure to meet you Twilight! The name's Ri-"

"NOOOOOO!"

"Hmm?"

"Princess? Is something the matter?"

"..."

"Princess Celestia?"

"It's...nothing my little guard, just...felt a slight chill, is all."

"Hmm...shall I retrieve the royal blanket, Princess?

"That...that won't be necessary. But thank you, though."

"Of course, Princess."

Fear.

Fear and confusion were the two main emotions that all six of the girls were feeling when Richard, who not a moment ago was just about to shake claws with Twilight before he suddenly froze, claw just inches from the unicorn's hoof. Blinking, the mare had of course tilted her head in confusion and was just about to ask him what was wrong when he suddenly, and very violent jerked his entire body backwards, eliciting a sharp roar of pain which in turn caused Twilight to immediately backpedal towards her friends with a yelp of her own, the other girls already having taken up defensive stances almost instinctively.

"Mister Lizard?" Fluttershy called, worry instantly filling her everything as she saw her friend suddenly clutch at his head with both claws as he shook violently from horns to tail. "Mister Lizard, what's-"

And then he roared.

It was sudden, practically instantaneous . A deep, ear-splitting cry that seemed to shake the very earth itself. And the girls were at ground fucking zero.

Literally diving to the floor, the girls tried to save what little was left of their hearing as they all threw their hooves either onto or into their ears, their cries of surprise being easily drowned out as bits and pieces of rubble fell down and around them.

But just as suddenly as it started, the roaring ceased and the girls, temporarily left unaware of anything besides a constant ringing, were left deafened and incapable of moving from their spots on the stone tiles beneath them.

"Uhhh. Gi-Girls! Girls?!" Twilight yelled, or at least she thought she was yelling as the ringing seemed to drown out any and all other sounds.

"Twilight?!"

Blinking, Twilight was vaguely aware of her name being called and repeated several times, though from where, she had little clue. But luckily for her, the ringing seemed to slowly be subsiding and Twilight was soon able to make out the voice calling her name to belong to Applejack.

"Applejack?!" She called and after feeling a tap on her shoulder, found the farm pony to be standing beside her, offering a helping hoof up that she graciously took.

"Yeah sugarcube, I'm here. Though I'm honestly wondering if my hearing is too."

"You girls okay?" A voice from behind called out, and sure enough as the two turned their heads, they saw Rainbow Dash, followed closely by Rarity and Pinkie, trot up and stop beside them, each looking just as shook as they were currently feeling.

"Yeah, I'm fine. Applejack is too." Twilight said, before looking amongst the five of them and blinking. "But wait, where's-"

"Mister Lizard?"

With five pairs of ears all perking up as one, the girls all turned their heads to see Fluttershy, seemingly unfazed by what had just happened and was currently, slowly approaching the large lizard hunched over in front of her.

Mister Lizard, please tell me what's wrong."

"Fluttershy!" Pinkie Pie yelled, gaining the pegasus's attention for only a brief moment before she heard a low growl come from the big lizard before her. Fearing that he might be in serious pain, the pegasus quickly rushed over to the creature's side, much to the very audible dismay of the five other ponies present.

"Mister Lizard! Don't worry, I'm right here! Are you okay? Are you injured?! Ohhh, please say something!"

And something he did say, or rather growled, though whatever it was that he had told her was apparently so surprising that it caused the pegasus to freeze before she then began to shiver like a leaf caught in a storm. And without another word, she slowly began to edge away form the creature, all the while her eyes, whose pupils had shrunken to pinpricks, did not leave the deathclaw's hide for even a second. And she did not stop her careful retreat until she had rejoined her friends.

"Fluttershy!" Twilight said, looking the mare up and down. "Thank Celestia you're okay! What happened? Why did Mister Lizard-"

"That's not Mister Lizard."

Blinking, Twilight stared at the pegasus, dumbfounded, before glancing between her and the creature on the other end of the room. What was she talking about?

"W-What? Fluttershy, what are you talking about, he's standing...right...there?"

Turning to the deathclaw in question, Twilight and the others watched as he seemed to finally recover from whatever had happened to him and slowly rose to his full height. But as he did so, there suddenly came an icy chill that snaked down Twilight's spine, along with the others' as well. Something wasn't right. Not right at all.

"What in the Celestia-damn?"

"What the buck?"

"Oh...my word."

"Uh-Oh."

"Wh-Wh-Wha?"

"...Mister Lizard."

Fear.

It was a mixture of mainly fear and-...actually...no. No, it was only fear that all six of the girls were currently feeling as they stared at hi-, fuck. At just whatever the hell it was now standing before them and staring back with cold, cold crimson eyes.

"Hello, ponies."

Author's Note

Ho-ly Hell! This took a HOT minute to make, folks!

And damn it all, if I don't feel like adding one last scene from the dozens I've got cooking up.
But...as they say, There's always the next chapter. Or am I just saying that?

Oh whatever. Point is, another chapter's finally out! No thanks to my laziness and inability to properly utilize time of course, but I'm only human after all. We all work at our own paces and all that jazz.

So yeah, tired as all hell after getting this chapter out. Hope you folks enjoy it as much as it was a hassle and a half for me to properly piece together story-wise. Will try to get the next chapter out sooner so as not too strain your guys' patience more than I already have (Also thank you guys so much for being patient with my slow ass while waiting for this chapter by the way, really do appreciate it!).

By...yeah, you folks know the drill. Report them errors of mine in the comments, post that much appreciated feedback, and as always...

Stay casual, folks!