Close Combat: The Love Life of Marybelle

Marybelle trotted through the cold cobblestone streets of Ponyville back to her cottage on the South end. She was a Pegasus and had wings, but she didn’t like to fly at night because she couldn’t see that well in the dark and her cottage was only a block over anyway. She has a red coat and a short neon blue mane with a longer flowing tail of the same color. She trotted slowly and cautiously. She thought she heard something behind her earlier, but she couldn’t see anything when she looked back there. She finally makes it home to find a note taped to her door. The note says, “I know you!”

Marybelle spins around and shouts out, “Where are you?”

She waits silently for about 30 seconds before sighing and then fetching her key from her saddlebags and using it with her mouth to unlock her front door and shoving it open with her left forehoof.

She then trots inside when she hears a twig behind her on the road snap. She thinks it’s maybe 4 or 5 feet behind her just to the left and so she quickly turns around and leaps using her wings to guide her in the air and comes down on somewhat smaller and darker pony body striking her left forehoof against it.

Once her strike lands, she’s pretty sure she struck the side of his chin and so she then twists her body to spin with her other forehoof and strike upwards to the other side of his face thinking that she can disorient her enemy using this sort of attack.

The dark figure ducks down to avoid the attack and begins to scurry off.

Marybelle sees this as an opportunity and leaps on the ponylike figure as it tries to get away slamming it face first into the ground. She then drives her right forehoof into what she believes to be the back of it’s head as she screams, “Who are you? What are you doing here?”

The figure could only moan pathetically as Marybelle sees something red over to the right of the now prone body she’s on top of.

She asks the figure, “And what the hay was that? Answer me!” as she slams her left forehoof back in to back of his head driving it into the ground once more.

The figure pants and whimpers and Marybelle suddenly realizes that she can’t keep beating this poor pony into the ground like this. She finally asks in a somewhat lower and more commanding tone, “Again, tell me who you are and what you’re doing here?”

The figure lets out a low whimper and Marybelle just rolls her eyes and gets off of the pony before trotting back towards her door and turning around. She then says, “You know, you really shouldn’t sneak up on a cage fighter? That’s a great way to get hurt!”

The figure then gets up and she can sorta make out that it has dark blue leathery wings and is basically a pony. She sees some distortion around the ears and the figure is the same dark blue color as it’s wings only a little lighter. It stumbles over to the side to try and pick up the red object it dropped to the left during the scuffle and tries to bite it. It fails to get the object on the first try and tries again before finally succeeding. It then slowly trots towards Marybelle with the object in it’s teeth.

Marybelle squints and sees what looks like a disheveled and disarrayed bouquet of roses. She then widens her eyes to stare at the now injured figure standing before her and says, “Wait! Y-you wanted to give me a bouquet of roses?”

The figure then slowly nods it’s head while it’s little pony body still sways just a bit from the beating it just took.

Marybelle just stands there stunned and says, “Gosh! I thought you wanted to attack me or something? Um, hey look! I’m really sorry about beating the snot out of you. Uh, would you like to come inside? I have bandages and first aid stuff in there?”

The lone pony just silently nods his head and Marybelle rolls her eyes again and as she turns to trot inside, says, “The couch is on the left! Sit there! And close the door!”

The pony slowly trots inside, shuts the door slowly with it’s right forehoof, and then sits on it’s haunches on the couch to the left as Marybelle trots to the closet, opens it with her mouth, and then starts to get a white box with a big red cross on it with her teeth and she then trots back to the pony on the couch.

She then gets out some supplies out with her hooves and she says, “Hey you’re a batpony! Like the Luna Guard!”

The pony nods his head.

She then asks the pony, “What’s your name?”

The pony opens it’s mouth and points to it with it’s hoof.

Marybelle then says, “Um, can’t you speak?”

The pony then shakes it’s head.

She then begins to use her mouth to dab ointment on the pony’s now swollen left cheek while saying from behind the ointment with her mouth, “Well there’s no way I’m gonna learn your name by playing 20 questions?”

She saw the batpony. He was dark blue with bluish black hair in a sort of short pompadour hair style with small fangs coming out of the top of his mouth. He also had leathery wings that were a slightly darker shade of blue than the rest of his body and he wore a sort of harness around his chest with two pockets on it. She’s not sure what he keeps in there.

She thinks for a second and then gets an idea! She says, “Okay whatever your name is, wait right here! I got something for you!”

The batpony’s eyes grew wide and she then says, “Don’t worry! It’s not another beating! Yet…”

The batpony looks down as she trots back to the closet and starts digging through the stuff in there with her hooves. She finally says, “Ah! Here it is!” And grabs a small green object with her mouth and takes it back to the batpony. She says to him, “Okay this chalkboard used to be used to keep score between rounds in the announcer’s booth. Thing is, he wanted a bigger one and I took the old one. Look! We can put this string here on it around your neck and now all we need is chalk.”

The batpony shrugs at her and she puts the chalkboard down before saying, “Yeah I got chalk! Just uh, gimme a minute! Funny true story! If I hadn’t beaten the crap out of you earlier, you probably never would’ve made it this far!”

And then Marybelle’s heart flutters as she then says, “W-wait? Why would you be trying to give me roses unless?”

The batpony looks around frantically not knowing what to do when finally he just puts his hooves over his heart and stares at Marybelle with a wide eyed expression.

Marybelle’s mouth gets small as she then considers what this could mean. She then says, “Okay fine! I guess we can have a date? I mean, I did hurt you and so I guess I owe you that much? You’re really lucky I beat you up you know that?”

The batpony can only smile and shrug weakly.

Marybelle then says, “Yeah I don’t fight again for 3 more days and uh, okay you’re a batpony right? Guess that means I gotta meet you in the evening?”

The batpony looks up before shaking it’s head yes.

Marybelle frowns and says, “Well okay! Wait right there! I’ll get you some chalk!” She then trots back to her closet and digs through the stuff with her hooves for several minutes. She then says, “Yeah I know I got chalk in here! It’s just uh, kinda far down! Hang on!”

She finally widens her eyes when she sees a small wooden box towards the end. She then grabs it with her mouth and sets it down in front of the closet before using her mouth to open it and snatching a white piece of chalk out and handing it to the batpony. The batpony then grabs the chalk with it’s mouth before Marybelle says to him, “Okay mystery batpony! First question! What is your name?”

The batpony takes the chalk in it’s mouth and writes out something onto the chalkboard. It then shows it to Marybelle and it says, “Guyrin”

Marybelle frowns and says, “Oh! You’re a batpony so of course you have a weird name! Okay I’m calling you Guy from here on out!”

Guyrin smiles and nods his head slowly.

Marybelle looks at the injured batpony’s head and says, “Well it’s a gnarly bruise, but I don’t think you’re gonna need a bandage? Just uh, avoid getting hoofed in the face over the next couple of days okay?”

Guyrin nods his head and smiles.

Marybelle then trots over to the other side of the couch and sits down and asks the batpony, “Okay so you had roses. I guess that means you wanted a date? Um, why?”

Guyrin then jots down on the chalkboard with his mouth. A minute later, Marybelle reads on the chalkboard, “Pretty! Seen you fight! Wanted to know!”

Marybelle frowns again and says, “Wait, you wanted to know me?”

Guyrin smiles and nods.

Marybelle then asks him, “Why in Equestria would you want to be with me?”

Guyrin just points to his heart with his right forehoof and looks at Marybelle with a serious expression.

Marybelle frowns and says, “That’s probably the best answer I’m gonna get? Okay fine! Get out of here now and meet me here at my cottage at 7 tomorrow. I’ll go wherever you want and we’ll have a “date” or whatever!”

Guyrin then has a concerned expression on his face as he jots down another message. “Why mad?” The chalkboard says held up in his hooves.

Marybelle then has an irritated expression on her face as she says, “I’m not mad!” She then breaths for a few seconds and then says, “Okay you wanna know the truth?” She says as she leans back on the couch.

Guyrin shakes his head yes.

She sighs and continues, “I’ve been hurt a few times and I just don’t know if I really want to open myself up to anypony like that… Why do you like me again? I mean, me? What’s wrong with you?”

Guyrin then makes a peculiar on and off screeching noise as his mouth smiles and he rocks back and forth. Marybelle can only assume that’s a batpony laugh. He then picks the chalk up off the floor again with his mouth and starts to jot down a message. He presents it to her with his forehooves and it says, “U pretty and kind”.

Marybelle scrunches her mouth and says, “Okay well, just because I gave you first aid doesn’t mean I’m nice! I mean, I did kick your flanks after all?”

Guyrin smiles and points his right forehoof at her heart and looks at her and smiles.

Marybelle narrows her eyes and says, “Seriously! Get out of here before I beat you up again!”

Guyrin then makes the weird screeching noise again as he takes off the chalkboard and puts it on the couch. He then slowly gets off the couch and trots towards the door. He looks back at Marybelle hopefully.

Marybelle then sights and says, “Yes Guyrin! I will still go out with you if you show up here at 7 tomorrow night! Uh, should I eat first or?”

Guyrin then looks up and then at Marybelle before shaking his head yes.

Marybelle then says, “Okay so whatever you have in mind, it’s not a dinner date! Now get out of here!”

She can hear the batpony making that same screeching noise very lowly as he leaves the cottage. This only irritates the Pegasus mare even more.

Since she’s already eaten dinner, Marybelle decides to read a book for an hour or so until bedtime. She then curls up on her big blue squishy mattress in her room and peacefully falls to sleep.

The next day is pretty uneventful. She feeds her cat and eats breakfast and lives her life normally. Guyrin did cross her mind a couple of times, but by this point, she was sure she had scared the poor little batpony off and that he wouldn’t show up.

Eventually, the evening comes on a nice fall day and she hears a hoof knocking at her door. She looks at the clock and it says 6:58. She then says, “Wow! He did show up!” before trotting over to the door, getting on her haunches, and using her left forehoof to open it.

She sees Guyrin there again with his sleek dark blue hair and holding another bouquet of roses in his teeth. She says, “Oh hey! Flowers! A lot like the ones I destroyed earlier!”

Guyrin smiles and nods his head yes.

Marybelle sighs and says, “Okay well since I don’t want to be limited to yes or no questions for the night, I guess I’ll just give you the chalkboard! Well, it’s not like I was doing anything with it?”

She then trots over to the closet while Guyrin slowly trots in with the flowers in his mouth. She opens the closet with her mouth and then stands on her haunches to fetch the chalkboard and piece of chalk from the top shelf where she left it yesterday and then puts it in his mouth as she walks back to Guyrin.

Guyrin looks over and drops the flowers on the table to his right before getting on his haunches and grabs the chalkboard with his forehooves and puts it around his neck and grabs the chalk and uses his mouth and right forehoof to put it in the top pocket of his harness.

Marybelle said, “Well I guess that’s a good place for it? So where are we going?”

Guyrin just smiles and walks toward the door and opens it with his mouth and points outside with his right forehoof.

Marybelle then says, “Okay I guess it’s a surprise?”

Guyrin nods his head yes and starts trotting outside. Marybelle sighs and reluctantly fetches her saddlebags and then steps outside before shutting her door on her haunches with her forehoof and then fetching the key from her saddlebags with her mouth and turning it in the knob to lock it. She then puts the key back in her saddlebags before trotting towards Guyrin.

Marybelle says to Guyrin, “I don’t like to fly at night… So where are we trotting to batpony?”

Guyrin points North towards the market square and begins to trot that way. Marybelle just follows him and says, “I hate walking in the dark!”

Guyrin slows down to let her catch up to him on his right and he looks over at her.

Marybelle sees this and says, “Still don’t know why you want me?”

Guyrin looks back and smiles and Marybelle can faintly make this out before saying, “We’re going on a date and you’re actually happy about that?”

Guyrin nods his head.

This only irritates Marybelle more when she says, “I was really close to just saying, forget about love you know that? I mean, I kept getting hurt… Don’t know why this will be any different?”

Guyrin stops in his tracks and turns to face Marybelle.

Marybelle looks at him startled and says, “Oh crap! I said too much didn’t I?”

Guyrin gets just a little bit closer to her and points his right forehoof at her heart and then at his heart. Marybelle rolls her eyes and says, “Fine! We’ll go to the mystery place together!”

Guyrin then looks down sullenly before looking back at her and nodding his head. Then he trots further North and Marybelle follows him when she sees one place still open coming up on their right. She sees it’s a coffee shop.

Guyrin trots up to the patio with Marybelle in tow and he then goes to a table and uses his head and teeth to pull out a chair and then motioning towards it with his right forehoof.

Marybelle then says, “Well obviously you want me to sit there.” before trotting over and sitting down at the chair on the patio.

Guyrin then trots around the table, pulls out his own chair, and sits down before smiling at Marybelle.

Marybelle then says, “So tell me again why we’re here?”

Guyrin writes on the chalkboard, “I like coffee good place”.

Just then, a dark pink unicorn waitress trots over to the table and says, “Oh hello Guyrin! Your usual?”

Guyrin just smiles and nods before pointing at Marybelle with his right forehoof.

Marybelle just says, “Well what would you recommend?”

The unicorn smiles and says, “Well I’d recommend the triple amaretto cappuccino! It’s really good!”

Marybelle then says, “Okay fine! Bring me one of those!”

The waitress uses her magic to jot a couple of things on her pad before saying, “Alright! Two triple amaretto cappuccinos coming up!”

Marybelle then looks at Guyrin and says, “So you like the house special?”

Guyrin smiles and nods his head yes.

Marybelle frowns and says, “So why do you wanna date me again?”

Guyrin writes on the chalkboard. “Pretty and kind” it says.

Marybelle then says, “You keep saying I’m nice, but I only patched you up after hurting you? How’s the chin by the way?”

Guyrin writes on the chalkboard, “Better thanks!” it says.

Marybelle says, “Okay but, why do you think I’m nice?”

Guyrin writes on the chalkboard, “Saw you at park with old lady” it says.

Marybelle then has an irritated expression on her face as she says, “That’s my Aunt Shale! She was a friend of my mother’s, well before the accident… I still talk to her all the time, but what are you doing spying on me?” She then hits both of her forehooves against the table. The patio is vacant except for them and so nopony notices.

Guyrin then frantically writes on the chalkboard, “Wasn’t spying. Saw you there.”

Marybelle then flares her nostrils before saying, “Okay but you’re still not off the hook mister!”

The batpony just hits both of his forehooves to his heart and pretends to be hurt.

Marybelle snarls and says, “Being cute won’t save you when I whip your flanks again later!”

Guyrin just does his weird batpony chuckle as the waitress returns while carrying a tray with two large coffees on it. She then uses her magic to set the tray down on the table before giving each pony a coffee. She then levitates the tray back up and says, “Enjoy!” as she trots off while carrying it away.

Guyrin then happily grabs his coffee in his forehooves and begins to slurp down some of it.

Marybelle then stares at her coffee.

Guyrin then sets his coffee down, picks up the chalk with his teeth, and writes on the chalkboard, “TRY! GOOD!”

Marybelle then grimaces as she picks the coffee up with her forehooves and tries it… It’s surprisingly tasty and explodes with amaretto flavor in her mouth! She then sets it back down and says, “I never really drank much coffee before? But this is actually pretty tasty!”

She notices Guyrin look off to the side for a moment before he motions to the sky on his left. (Her right) She stares out there and says, “What am I looking for?”

Guyrin then writes down another message. “Wait for it!” says the chalkboard.

Marybelle sighs and then moves to take another sip of her coffee with her forehooves when suddenly, she hears a loud explosion coming from out in the sky where Guyrin had just pointed. She sets down her coffee and stares on in wide eyed amazement as fireworks of many different colors explode out there. She saw cascading colors and shapes of green, blue, red, yellow, and orange and the explosions made beautiful shapes in the sky. The fireworks show lasts for a good 5 or 6 minutes as different shapes and colors explode in the sky.

Marybelle then looks astonished at the smiling batpony right in front of her. She finally says, “Y-you had a fireworks show just for me? How?”

Guyrin then scribbles on the chalkboard, “I know people!”

Marybelle then has an expression between a frown and a grimace. Her mouth is both scrunched and curved somewhat down and her eyes are wide. She then says, “W-wow! Nopony has ever really done anything like that for me?”

Guyrin then scribbles on the chalkboard and it says, “I (heart) U!”

Marybelle frowns again and says, “You’re insane!”

Guyrin then moves closer to her face and for some reason, Marybelle doesn’t feel much like punching him in the face anymore… The tip of his snout eventually touches hers and she feels her heart begin to flutter and race. She then feels the heat of his breath on her face as he nuzzles her and she feels him press his lips against hers slowly as he kisses her deeply.

Her eyes grow wide and she stares to see his are closed in a passionate kiss. The feelings that suddenly swell inside her only annoy her as she feels her resistance to this onslaught of romance disintegrating.

He finally pulls back and stares at her smiling…

Marybelle then says to Guyrin, “Y-you! You’re a dick you know that?”

Guyrin then has a shocked expression on his face as Marybelle continues, “Doing that big display just for me and making my heart flutter like that! And then actually kissing me! Bucking kissing me! You’re a dick!”

Guyrin has a confused look on his face as Marybelle fumes on her haunches in the chair. She finally says, “You’re a dick and I kinda wanna kiss you again! Get over here butthole!”

Guyrin then freezes in his chair as Marybelle stares and says, “What’s the matter? Don’t have the guts to do that twice?”

Guyrin then shakes his head and leans forward to kiss her again while opening his forelegs for an embrace.

Marybelle decides to try it again closing her eyes this time as she feels his breath on her face once again followed by his lips against hers. She soon feels his forelegs wrapped around her tight muscular body. The loving embrace lasts for awhile before Guyrin returns to his seat and his haunches and Marybelle slowly opens her eyes…

She finally says, “I can’t believe I just did that! And after all this time? You come out of nowhere, a batpony no less, and you actually want to be my coltfriend?”

Guyrin smiles and nods.

She frowns before saying, “Okay fine! I’ll be your "marefriend" or whatever, but I reserve the right to buck you up!”

Guyrin then jots on his chalkboard, “You wouldn’t!”

She closes her eyes for maybe a second and opens them before saying, “I don’t think you wanna test that Guy!”

Guyrin then does his weird batpony laugh again before taking another sip of coffee.

He motions to Marybelle’s coffee and she then looks at it and finally takes a couple of hearty swigs. She then says, “This is actually really good! I don’t usually travel out to this part of town?”

Guyrin smiles and nods before staring into her eyes.

She then says, “You really are sweet on me aren’t you? I mean, me? A fighter in the Ponyville MMA underground?” Guyrin’s eyes narrow as she continues, “You really are a butthole you know that?”

He giggles as she finishes up her coffee. Guyrin sees that she’s drinking again and does the same. She then gets off her seat and says, “Okay! Time for me to head back!”

Guyrin looks at her and scribbles, “I walk U home?”

Marybelle frowns and says, “Well I don’t exactly have any problems taking care of myself, but…” Her eyes narrow, “Okay fine! I’ll take the romantic walk home with you or whatever! Bleh!”

She looks at Guyrin’s confused expression and she finally sighs and says, “Okay it’s been years alright? I’ve had to focus on me and my fighting all this time and well, I never really had a special somepony in mind and here you come? Uh, to think all of this would probably have been avoided had I not beaten you up earlier? Kinda funny since all the training made me able to do that?”

Guyrin continues to annoy Marybelle with his funky laugh as he gets off his seat, fetches two bits from his lower pocket to tip the waitress, and trots over to her and nods towards her house in the distance.

Marybelle then asks him, “Aren’t you going to pay for the coffee we just drank?”

Guyrin then scribbles out, “TAB” on his chalkboard and shows it to the Pegasus.

Marybelle then frowns and says, “Oh! You have a tab! Of course!” Before getting off her seat and trotting towards the batpony.

The batpony begins to trot with Marybelle and she then says, “Well since we’re trotting and you can’t write, I guess that means I’m limited to yes or no questions? But before we get further away from the downtown lights, I just gotta know! How long have you had a thing for me anyway?”

Guyrin stops and then jots on his chalkboard, “3 months”.

Marybelle then begins trotting towards her house again and Guyrin follows as she then says, “We’re gonna have to go slow Guy… I haven’t done this in awhile!”

Marybelle notices that Guyrin is beginning to trot a bit closer to her and he then looks at her and she’s pretty sure she can make out a smile on his face.

Marybelle then says, “I still think you’re nuts!”

Guyrin then trots even closer to Marybelle and she resists the impulse to hook hoof him across the face as she feels his warm breath on her cheek and he nuzzles her.

Marybelle then whispers the word, “Dick!” under her breath.

Guyrin then begins to move his lips onto hers and kisses her in the street. She feels her knees begin to weaken before she regains composure.

Guyrin then pulls back and stares at her. She then says, “Why did you do that?”

Guyrin can only shrug and then begins to scrawl something on the chalkboard. He presents it to Marybelle on his haunches, but she can only squint and say, “I’m sorry Guy! I don't think I can make that out?”

He then gets back on all fours and looks down.

Marybelle then gets closer to him and he feels her breath on his face as she then says, “Hey! I like you too…” And she smiles at the little batpony.

She thinks she sees him smile back as she sighs and says, “I still think you’re a butthole! Doing all those things for me and making me kiss you like that!”

She then hears him giggle as she sees her front porchlight out of nowhere next to the dark outlines of what she’s pretty sure is the grove near her house.

They both finally trot to her light and she turns to face him and says, “Well look Guy, I uh, really had a good time with you… Um, did you enjoy yourself too?”

Guyrin smiles and nods.

She then looks at Guyrin coyly and says, “Well?”

Guyrin knows this signal and gets close to Marybelle and nuzzles her before one final passionate kiss. Marybelle’s eyes are closed and she finds herself enjoying this again, perhaps a bit too much. She actually considers opening her mouth this time, but decides not too just yet.

They kiss like this for a bit before breaking and Marybelle says, “Well I guess this is goodbye for now Guy?”

Guy then has a shocked expression on his face and he begins to scrawl, “Again?”

Marybelle actually giggles as she says, “You just can’t get enough of that can you?” And then she moves in and kisses Guyrin one more time as the batpony has a startled expression as his eyes begin to grow more shut.

They then break and Guyrin then takes a breath and scrawls on the chalkboard, “No, I meant another date” and presents it to Marybelle.

Marybelle then looks astonished as she says, “Oh! You wanna go out with me again? Well I guess you also had a good time? Uh, tomorrow evening is right out because I got that thing and I have to fight two nights after that, but the evening after tomorrow is open? Uh, seven sound good to you Guy?”

Guyrin nods his head yes and smiles. Then he turns around, spreads his leathery bat like wings, and takes off to fly away in the distance towards the West. Marybelle then shakes her head before using her mouth to fetch the key from her saddlebags and uses it to unlock the door all with her mouth. She then kicks the door open once more and walks inside before putting the key back in her bag and using the same forehoof to close it.

Marybelle goes back to her bed and can’t really decide what to think of the events of tonight before she slowly drifts off to sleep on her blue mattress once more.