Close Combat: The Love Life of Marybelle

The two Pegasi trot into the woods just South of Marybelle’s house. Fluttershy looks ahead and says, “Marybelle! Do you see that tree over there?”

The other Pegasus looks to the tree and says, “Yeah, lots of them grow in this area!”

“That’s a Ponyville sycamore Marybelle. It’s a special tree with special needs.”

Marybelle scrunches her mouth and replies, “Okay?”

Fluttershy trots forward before pointing at the branches of the tree with her right forehoof as she says, “See how they’re pruned a specific way?”

Marybelle trots towards the tree for a closer look and says, “Oh yeah! They’re cut at an angle! Why do they cut it like that?”

Fluttershy turns to face Marybelle as she says, “Because that’s the best way for their branches to grow, Marybelle. There are a few Ponyville sycamore in other regions of Equestria, but they’re not as plentiful as they are here because we know how to properly care for them!”

Marybelle frowns while saying, “Are you saying that I need to take care of Guyrin by pruning his branches?”

“I’m saying he needs to be treated a special way, just like these trees Marybelle!”

Marybelle squints her right eye while saying, “Okay well, everypony has a specific set of needs? What should I know about him?”

Fluttershy smiles and says, “Well, my little Guyrin is very emotional. He will get upset very easily and you need to know that he needs love and care when that happens.”

Marybelle picks up her voice, “Fluttershy, I am a fighter trained in hoof-to-hoof combat and an accomplished martial artist. Why in the hay is he looking to me for that? I’m not a nurturer!”

“Well, Guyrin obviously sees that in you, otherwise he wouldn’t have picked you!”

Marybelle frowns and says, “Okay so not only is he a butthole, but he’s obviously out of his little batpony mind! Great!”

Fluttershy starts and says, “Marybelle! You were hurt and who picked you up? Who gave you the helping hoof you needed to get better?”

“That’s beside the point! I can take care of myself!”

Fluttershy’s eyes grow inquisitive, “Isn’t it easier with him there for you though?”

“Well yeah… I guess?”

Fluttershy straightens her head and finally asks, “Marybelle, what’s wrong? Why are you so reluctant to accept what’s obviously a very loving and caring gesture?”

Marybelle looks off to her right, “I… I just don’t want to get hurt again…”

“Marybelle, Guyrin doesn’t seem to want to hurt you, you know?”

Marybelle looks back, “I know that! They never do! Not at first….”

Fluttershy tilts her head to the left and says, “Well, how do you know he’s also going to hurt you though? He’s not those other ponies.” She straightens her head and widens her eyes, “He’s his own pony after all!”

Marybelle turns around and trots a few paces, “I’m not sure you’d understand?”

Fluttershy trots up to Marybelle’s left side, looks over to her, and says, “Try me!”

Marybelle looks to the yellow Pegasus on her left and says, “Well, what else is there to say? I wasn’t the right pony and so they got rid of me… Then I decided not to trust anypony else… And then, he comes flying into my life with his leathery dark blue wings!”

“Well, Marybelle, I think you just need to give him a chance! What if he’s the one?”

Marybelle starts, “And that’s another thing! I wasn’t looking for love, or “the one”, or anything else when he came to me with flowers in his mouth! I wasn’t wanting anything!”

“Yeah, Guyrin was always the romantic type like that!”

“I beat him up!”

Fluttershy eyes widen as her head lurches forward, “You WHAT?”

“Well, I thought he was sneaking up on me. I tried to remember where he was for about a block until he was finally right behind me… And then I uh, roughed him up a bit…”

“Marybelle! He was only trying to be romantic!”

“Well, I know that now Fluttershy! But I didn’t at the time.”

Fluttershy frowns and says, “Is that why you agreed to go out with him in the first place? Because you hurt him?”

Marybelle sighs, “Well, if you want me to be truthful, yes… Yes, it was… Otherwise, I would’ve said no and this whole catastrophe could’ve been avoided!”

“Marybelle! Love is a beautiful, wonderful thing!”

“It is? Why does it always end so horribly though?” Marybelle says while squinting her right eye.

Fluttershy smiles dimly and says, “Because it wasn’t meant to be… What if it is this time though Marybelle? Don’t you want that?”

“I guess?”

“Marybelle!”

“Look! I don’t know if I really want to trust anypony anymore okay? Why can’t I just be by myself and be happy?” Marybelle says while looking over to her right.

Fluttershy starts again as she says, “Because you’re a sensitive creature who needs love Marybelle!”

Marybelle looks ahead, “And another thing! Why exactly do I NEED love anyway?”

Fluttershy smiles as she says, “Because you’re meant for special things Marybelle…”

Marybelle turns left to face the other pony and squints as she says, “Oh, you’re good!”

“Marybelle, Guyrin has said nothing but wonderful things about you!”

“I know…”

Fluttershy looks around on her left before spotting something and pointing with her forehoof as she says, “You see that mama bird up in that tree feeding the worm to her little ones?”

Marybelle looks in the direction she pointed, “Um, yeah?”

“Okay, well those little baby birds can’t get that worm by themselves…”

Maybelle frowns and says, “What are you saying Fluttershy?”

Fluttershy turns to Marybelle and starts as she says, “What I’m saying is, he can’t get love by himself, on his own! He has to get that from you!”

Marybelle turns her body to face the other Pegasus, “Okay, let’s just cut to the chase. What do I need to know about the little batpony?”

Fluttershy’s eyes widen, “Well, gosh! I already told you about his emotional state. You’re probably already aware that he needs snuggles and love right?”

“Umm…” Marybelle says as she looks down, “He is quite affectionate?”

“Oh, I know!” Fluttershy says while smiling proudly, “He always greets me with a warm hug!”

Marybelle thinks of something but decides not to say it before looking up to sky and says, “It’s getting later. You suppose Guyrin will be up by now?”

Marybelle sits across from Fluttershy at the table as she looks down on her plate and says, “Apple and hay mash you say? And he likes this stuff?”

“Oh yes! Batponies love fruit! Especially tree grown fruit such as apples, pears, and mangos!”

“Good to know!” Marybelle says as she grabs her bowl in her forehooves and starts to eat.

A bleary eyed batpony soon walks from Marybelle’s room with the disheveled remains of a bluish black pompadour on his head. Marybelle looks to him before he’s even three paces out the door and says, “Good evening Guy!” and then gets up and trots to greet him. She meets him in the middle and nuzzles him before saying, “I hope you slept well!”

Guyrin looks to Fluttershy and makes a few chirping noises. “Tell her, I slept well!”

Fluttershy smiles and says to Marybelle, “He says he rested very well, thank you!”

Marybelle looks behind her to the yellow Pegasus and says, “W-wait! You can understand him?”

“Well, I do speak bat you know?” Fluttershy says before smiling.

Marybelle grimaces at the yellow Pegasus before trotting back to her seat.

Guyrin shakes his head before following a few hoofsteps behind her and sitting at the table with Fluttershy to his left and Marybelle to his right. He chirps at Fluttershy. “Hey, is there anything to eat? I can cook dinner you know?”

Fluttershy answers, “It’s in the kitchen Guyrin! You just wait here, and I’ll get it for you!” before getting off her chair and trotting over to the kitchen.

Marybelle looks at the batpony and asks, “So you can talk to Fluttershy? Any other surprises I should know about?”

Guyrin shirks and shakes his head while the yellow pony trots back from the kitchen with a warm plate of food on her snout and drops it in front of the batpony.

Guyrin looks at it and hisses with his mouth open, revealing his fangs and spreading his wings while raising his forehooves in the air. Then, he looks over at a smiling Marybelle before closing his wings back around his body and quietly taking the bowl in his forehooves to somberly munch on his food.

Marybelle giggles at this before saying, “I love how you try to control yourself around me Guy! I think it’s cute!”

Guyrin looks over at her and faintly pouts while Fluttershy sees this and starts to giggle herself.

Fluttershy looks to Marybelle, “It’s cute that you already have a thing!”

The other Pegasus looks to Fluttershy, frowns, and asks, “What? A thing?”

Fluttershy smiles, “Mhm! He’s a batpony and therefore ferocious with fruit and he tries to control himself around you!”

Guyrin munches some more of his food before looking at Fluttershy while Marybelle says, “So let me get this straight! I didn’t want this, nor did I ask for it… But I have a coltfriend now?”

Fluttershy says, “Welcome to the world Marybelle! That’s how love is! You don’t control it! It just happens!”

Marybelle looks up and says, “Oh great! So, I have to follow him now, whether I want to or not!”

Fluttershy asks the cage fighter, “What do you mean?”

Marybelle looks at the other Pegasus while the batpony stares onward and says, “Well, like you said. What if he’s the one? I mean, let’s just say hypothetically that love is meant for me, right? Well, I wouldn’t want to miss this? At the same time, I’m annoyed that it happened now!”

Fluttershy’s mouth tightens as she looks at Marybelle soberly and asks her, “Well, there really isn’t a right time for this sort of thing either?”

Marybelle frowns and says, “So it’s now or never huh?” As Guyrin looks at her intently.

Fluttershy starts and says, “Well I don’t think that’s exactly…”

Marybelle doesn’t let her finish before looking at the batpony and saying, “I love you!” The batpony can only stare at Marybelle wide-eyed while she continues, “I love you and thank you so much for taking care of me Guyrin… You really do love me?”

Guyrin gives her a bright fanged smile and nods his head yes energetically.

Marybelle smiles as she says, “You know, your little, your mysterious, you’re annoying, and you’re helpful… And I love you, you little butthole!”

Fluttershy snickers and looks to Guyrin before saying, “That’s probably about as good as we’re gonna get for right now?”

Guyrin nods his head and chirps at her affirmatively. “Yeah, probably?”

The yellow pony looks to the crimson one on the other end of the table as she says, “He was agreeing with me!” while Marybelle frowns.

Marybelle looks at Guyrin and says, “I know you work at the cemetery Guy. But what time do you get off?”

Guyrin looks over at Fluttershy and exclaims a couple of chirps. “6”

Fluttershy looks to Marybelle and says, “He says he gets off at 6!”

“Also, good to know!” Marybelle says before taking her bowl in her forehooves and finishing up her food with her snout.

“I’m glad you liked it!” Fluttershy says while smiling and lightly giggling. Then she slowly and carefully finishes up her food herself with her bowl in her forehooves.

Guyrin sees all of this, shrugs, and starts to eat his food a bit more aggressively to catch up.

The three ponies finish their meals and Fluttershy looks to the clock on the wall before saying, “Oh Guyrin! It’s almost time for you to go to work! Hang on!” before getting up to trot back to the kitchen.

Marybelle looks at Guyrin who can only stare back and grin dimly. She chances a nuzzle and it’s reciprocated, and this causes her to smile and blush as she says, “I really do love you now, you know that?”

Guyrin smiles while silently nodding at the red Pegasus while she stares back at him with a repressed smirk on her face.

Fluttershy trots back to the table with a tall leather satchel on her snout. She sets it down near Guyrin before saying, “Okay Guyrin! I packed a berry and oat sandwich and some prunes for your lunch tonight! Be careful!”

Guyrin happily takes the satchel in his forehooves and swings it over his right shoulder. He looks over and nuzzles Marybelle only to be shocked when she kisses him slowly, passionately, and deeply.

She draws back her head before smiling and saying, “I love you, you little butthole!”

Guyrin gives a positive squeak and nuzzles her again before trotting towards the door.

He opens it and trots out before closing it behind him and Marybelle looks over at Fluttershy and says, “You can do it now, but I make his lunches from here on out!”

Fluttershy looks over and smiles as she says, “Of course! Because you love him!”

“Okay, fine! You got me! I do in fact, love this little pony of the night! So uh, Fluttershy? What were you gonna do after he left?”

“Well, do you still need me to take care of you?”

“Uh, I don’t think so?” Marybelle says while rubbing the back of her neck with the brace still there.

“Well, do you want some company?”

“Um… Yeah I think I do?”

Fluttershy looks at Marybelle soberly with her blue eyes before saying, “It’s hard for you to admit you need other ponies, isn’t it?”

“Well, I really don’t like that? I think of myself as strong and tough, you know? I don’t want to admit that I n-need anypony else in my life… I don’t want to be weak!”

Fluttershy smiles and says, “Well, I already told you that relying on others isn’t necessarily a weakness? In fact, I’ve seen firsthand how strong that can be!”

Marybelle’s expression grows stern, “What are you saying Fluttershy?”

“I’m saying that you’re stronger with Guyrin than you are alone!”

Marybelle looks over to the left side and widens her eyes, “Well uh, I actually never thought about like that? You uh, got a point there actually!”

“And now, you have a special somepony to help you!” Fluttershy says while smiling more brightly.

Marybelle grimaces severely and says, “You know what? You’re also annoying!”

Fluttershy’s eyes widen, “Love is beautiful Marybelle!”

“So, I’m told?” Marybelle says before sighing, rubbing the back of her neck again, past her straight neon blue mane with her right forehoof, “You think this brace has been on here long enough?”

“Probably? Um, hang on!” Fluttershy says before getting off her chair and trotting over behind Marybelle to reach behind the brace with her right forehoof. She moves it around a bit and soon, the brace undoes itself and slides off her neck from the sides. She moves the brace over to the table and sets it down with her forehoof.

Marybelle stretches and pops her neck from side to side before asking Fluttershy, “So uh, what did you wanna do anyway?”

“Oh, I didn’t have any plans! Whatever you wanna do is fine!”

Marybelle looks up before back down and says, “I can’t believe I’m saying this, but would you like to get some coffee? There’s an all-night café over on the East side of town that me and Guy have been to before…”

“So, is there anything you wanted to know about Guyrin?” Fluttershy asks as both ponies trot through the now empty Ponyville market square as the sun sets to their left.

“Yeah! How did his father die anyway?”

“Well, batponies have a sacred pilgrimage they need to make to the Everfree Forest at least once in their life… Guyrin’s father took him and he was heading back, when a roc plucked him out of the sky!”

Marybelle’s starts to trot a bit slower as she looks down and says, “So, his father was killed by a bird-of-prey?”

Fluttershy stops and says, “Yes Marybelle! And he’s been by himself for years after that!”

Marybelle stops to looks at her, “So extreme loneliness is the only reason he wanted to be with me?”

“Marybelle! You act like you don’t have any qualities that he enjoys! You are really sweet and caring, you know that?”

Marybelle starts and says, “I-I am?”

“Absolutely!” Fluttershy says while smiling.

“Ugh!” Marybelle says before turning to start trotting East as she says, “Come on Fluttershy! It’s this way!”

“Oh dear!” Fluttershy says while timidly trotting behind her.

Soon, both ponies see a light approaching them on the street to their left. Marybelle nods her head towards it says, “Yeah, that’s it up there!”

The two ponies approach the patio of the café when Marybelle asks, “Do you wanna sit outside Fluttershy?”

“That’s fine!” Fluttershy says as Marybelle trots ahead of the duo towards a chair. She pulls the chair back with her teeth and sits down, facing the café.

Fluttershy slowly trots over to the chair on Marybelle’s right and pulls it out with her teeth to do the same.

“So, why did you suddenly feel like coffee Marybelle? That seems like something Guyrin would want?”

Marybelle looks to the other Pegasus, and smiles as she says, “Well, I guess his ways are growing on me?”

A dark pink unicorn waitress soon approaches their table from the door on Marybelle’s left. She has her blond mane done in a single tight bun behind her head and a flowing blond tail behind her to match. She trots to the table and looks at Fluttershy on the other side of the table before saying, “Hello again Fluttershy! Your usual single mocha frappe with extra cherries?”

Fluttershy looks to the unicorn, smiles, and giggles before saying, “Yup! You really know me Cynthia!”

Cynthia smiles and says, “Well, you have been coming here awhile?” She looks to Marybelle on her right and says, “Not with your coltfriend tonight huh? What can I get you ma’am?”

Marybelle says, “Uh, caramel cappuccino please!”

Cynthia asks, “Single, double, or triple?”

“Make it a double please!”

Cynthia nods her head and says, “Okay! Single mocha frappe with extra cherries and a double caramel cappuccino coming right up!” before trotting back towards the door.

Marybelle looks back at Fluttershy and says, “Since it’s just us two out here, I guess she doesn’t need to write down anything? Seriously though, am I the only pony in town who doesn’t know about this place?”

Fluttershy smiles and says, “Well, it’s a popular place!”

“I see… So, Guyrin is a grave digger? That’s a pretty grim job!” Marybelle says before frowning.

Fluttershy looks up brightly and says, “Well, his father was a grave digger and his father before him. They used to work together before um…”

Marybelle’s eyes widen as she asks, “He didn’t bury his own father, did he?”

Fluttershy is taken aback as she says, “Oh goodness no! I remember, they sent a courier to Canterlot to get a grave digger especially for that job! Although Guyrin was at the funeral… I still remember how pale and sullen he looked…”

“Oh wow! That sounds horrible!” Marybelle says as a pink unicorn approaches from her left with a small black tray carrying a tall, stemmed glass with whipped cream and lots of cherries on top with a little bent straw poking out of it on it next to a large frothy coffee mug in her blue magical grasp.

Cynthia sets the tray down on the table and then magically floats the glass to Fluttershy in front of her before the coffee mug to Marybelle on her right. She then floats the tray away to her saddlebags on her left and says, “Enjoy!” before smiling and briskly trotting away to the door behind her.

“So, what did he do after the funeral?” Marybelle asks curiously without even regarding the unicorn.

“Well um, I’m actually not sure? I know they gave him some time off from work after that and I don’t think he left his house? I went by to check on him two days later, but nopony answered the door.”

Marybelle gives a wide-eyed expression as she asks, “So, when was the next time you saw him?”

Fluttershy smiles and says, “Well, I saw him at the market earlier when he had his sunglasses on! When he was shopping for you!”

“Wait!” Marybelle sighs before continuing, “He didn’t go out into public, until I needed him to?”

“Mhm! I guess you make him want to do things again?”

“Wow!” Marybelle says before looking down at her coffee and tentatively using her forehooves to take a powerful sip. “Still kinda hot, but I can deal with this!”

“Oh good!” Fluttershy says before sipping her straw a bit.

Marybelle takes a smaller sip and says, “Okay, coffee junkie, grave digger, works at night, dead father, loves me, needs affection, and out of his mind! Anything else I need to know about this weird dark little pony of the night?”

“Um?” Fluttershy looks up and then says, “I think that just about covers all you really should know? He’s already done his batpony pilgrimage and after finding a mate, that pretty much covers his batpony obligations I think?”

“Wait! Find a mate?” Marybelle starts at the yellow Pegasus who flinches slightly before composing herself.

“Um, yeah! Tradition says batponies have to have a mate by a certain point. If they fail, they’re out of the colony until they return with one…”

Marybelle squints and says, “Was he kicked out?”

“Um…” Fluttershy says before shrinking, “I’m actually not sure?”

At that point, something snaps in Marybelle… She looks up calmly, sighs, and says, “You know what Fluttershy?”

Fluttershy timidly asks, “Um, what Marybelle?”

Marybelle suddenly looks down before an insane grin forms on her face, “I don’t care about that!”

“W-WHAT?”

Marybelle looks at Fluttershy wide-eyed as she says, “I suddenly get it Fluttershy!”

Fluttershy looks around and shrinks even more as she asks, “W-what do you mean Marybelle?”

Marybelle excitedly says, “There’s gonna be all sorts of reasons not to love him! The fact that he’s just lonely, the fact that he’s annoying, the fact that he has a dark job, and the fact that he can’t return home without me! All of these things say I should say no! But you know what? I’m just gonna love the little butthole anyway!” before nodding her head and taking another powerful swig of her coffee.

Fluttershy shakes her head, starts, and blinks her eyes a few times before smiling and shyly saying, “Oh okay! Th-that’s wonderful Marybelle!” And then slowly taking another sip of her drink.

(To be continued…)