Equestria Handyman

After the party is over Mark and Milky return to his humble apartment where after explaining the events that happen at the party in detail they discuss, and wonder the cause of such behavior. Starting with how it began in the first place.

“Ok let's unpack here, what exactly happened between you two? What caused her to be so afraid of you in the first place” Milky wondered while sitting on a sofa, opposite to her was Mark sitting on a chair keeping his gaze on the floor as he sighs.

“To explain I will have to go back a very long time ago. Two years after I arrived here to be exact…and confess a little something about my species that I was worried you might find scary. You see, while I’m perfectly fine eating fruits and salad” He extend a finger and reveal one of his sharper teeth “my diet could also include meat”

“No! Seriously?” Milky ask sarcastically surprise and confusing the human at her reaction

“Honey I have kissed you thousands of times now, did you really think I wouldn’t notice something sharp poking my tongue? Of course I knew! In fact I’m getting so used to the sensation I had started to enjoy our kiss even more because of it”

He looked happy and relieved at the news and at the moment he wanted to approach her but she stopped him.

“So anyway you were saying?”

“Right so, as I was telling with my diet and me refusing to just give up on meat altogether came a revelation of sorts.

Four Years Ago

(The bold italic sections is Mark acting as a narrator)

God what I would give for a well done steak right now.

Mark mumbled rubbing his belly in memory, and craving a different kind of dish than the fruit salad he had in front of him.

“What is it Mark?” Fluttershy voiced her concern as he looked up at the rest of the main six, as they were currently enjoying a picnic near Fluttershy’s cottage, all of them sharing the same expression as hers. “Is there something wrong with your salad?”

“Nah there is nothing wrong with it, just.” He stopped not sure how to explain how he was craving meat, especially when speaking to them, which were clearly herbivores, and could potentially get frightened, or even get the wrong impression if he didn’t choose his words carefully.

“I suppose I'm still home sick” He finally said, not completely lying as he was mostly missing how easy it was to find a steak or pork or chicken back on earth and realizing how he hasn't eaten any of that since his arrival.

Immediately after saying those words the entire mood crashed down, as not even Pinkie knew what to say or do to lighten the mood, adding more weight to his guilt.

Way to go Mark, not only flat line the mood, you just manage to depress yourself too.

“And I just killed the mood completely, better be going before I finish flat lining it.” He stood up and excuses himself getting ready to leave.

“Mark, wait!” Twilight called for him and grabbed his wrist. “Please, don’t go.”

“Twilight I…” He sighed again before looking at her. “…I appreciate the gesture, but unfortunately this is a friendship problem you simply can’t fix.”

“Is it really nothing we can do, partner?” AJ asks pleading, hating to see him so down in the dumps.

“Not unless you find a way to bring a piece of earth back here” Mark tells half sarcastically, closing his eyes and clenching his fist in anger “Sorry forget I said that, I shouldn’t, it's just AJ what would you do if you would never be able to see your farm again? Or Pinkie never be able to be at a party? Or Rarity never be able to see…ah damn it!” He shook his head “I’m sorry I just need to go before I ruin this day completely. Please just let this problem go. There is nothing else to say.”

To this day I still feel horrible for what I did, all of them wanted to help and just because I was just thinking with my freaking stomach I ended up making them feel terrible. The second I stopped feeling these cravings, I was set on making it up to them. But little did I know, the main six weren’t ready to throw the towel with me.

“What is this?” Mark asked in astonishment as after a week from the incident Twilight asked him to come with her to visit the ruins of the castle of the two sisters, only to find a small section of said place repaired and repurposed to become a cabin made of stone, fully equip with a freezer, an oven, all sorts of apple dishes courtesy of Applejack and even fresh sheets, blankets and everything else that he could of needed to spend a couple of days in there.

“I know you were joking, and didn’t mean it,” Twilight explained.

“But we felt bad knowing how much you missed your home.” Rarity continues.

“So we put our heads together and remembered how the everfree forest kind of reminds you of home right?” Pinkie added.

“Yeah with all the freaky things with the weather acting on its own and the sun and moon moving without any help.” Dash shivers at the idea.

“We know it’s not Earth.” Fluttershy grabbed his hand with a kind smile. “But we thought maybe, whenever you feel home sick you could come to this cabin and pretend you are camping back home.”

“Girls I…I don’t know what to say.” He sniffed, and had to clear some tears from his eyes. “After what I said to you, I don’t deserve this, I'm sorry.”

They all brought him into a group hug “Don’t be, we knew you didn’t mean any of those things.”

“Yeah I sure would be more agitated than a rattlesnake if some force rip me away from my family farm.”

“And just because you are camping doesn't mean you can’t do it in style” Rarity exclaimed in pride. “I guarantee these blankets will feel divine at night, especially looking at the starry night.” She pointed upwards showing a skylight for which he could see clouds passing by.

“Just don’t ask for wishes if you see a shooting star, you might attract Luna.” Pinkie jokes and all share a small laugh.

“Oh you don’t need to worry about the wildlife, I asked around and my animal friends told me that none of the dangerous one’s come here, and they promised to leave you alone if you do the same.” Fluttershy comments as he nods. “I will keep it in mind Fluttershy.”

And in mind I kept her word, I didn’t intend for that to happen but boy was I grateful for them to do it. Turns out their little plan worked, as after the first night I really felt like I was back on earth. The night was peaceful, the clouds moved on their own, I could feel the weather move without any assistance, I don’t know if things felt natural.

And then something unexpected happened, something that unintentionally granted me my dark wish of feasting on actual meat for the first time in a very long time.

Startled by a loud noise. Mark exited his cabin to find out the origin of the commotion. A rabbit was being chased by a big Cragodile as the beast was fast approaching and had the poor hare against a wall corner snapping his massive jaws at him, unable to reach thanks to a suite of heavy armor that had fallen on the beast pinning it down.

Mark didn’t know why, but watching the poor bunny scared for it’s life, a massive predator inches away from it’s next meal, as said bunny was looking at him begging for help made him act without thinking, spotting a piece of a column near him, and kicked it will all his might at said predator, he intended to grab it’s attention, convinced that the cragodile’s skin would protect it.

How wrong was he as the force behind it not only launched the croc into the air, it killed it on the spot. He was mortified for what had just happened, as he watched the dead body, snapping back to attention as the white rabbit was just hugging his leg with tears on its eyes from being rescued, the poor thing still shaking from the ordeal and made him remember why he did it and how he just saved a life.

He felt bad but he didn’t want to let body just be left to rot. And a curious idea came to light.

Skinning and cutting that Croc was a chore and a half, I didn't exactly know what I was doing and of course the first try was a disastrous waste of a lot of the flesh yet in the end I managed to obtain my prize and for the first time in two years, I ate meat once more. One which flavour I was shocked to recognize.

It…it tastes like a steak! Mark thought with tears streaming down his eyes as he continued to consume the chunk of meat, it had more elasticity that he had preferred but the flavour was definitely there, and with that meal his final wish was granted that night.

Back at the present

“After that it was a matter of trial and error, I started small. Using a pond near my cabin that Fluttershy must have missed to hunt more Cragodiles. Then moving to other targets, stalking them and learning their patterns on each trip, and learning a bit more on how to be a hunter. Am I making you uncomfortable?”

He looks at Milky in worry yet she shakes her head and asks him to continue.

“Of course no one knew what I was doing, in everyone’s eyes I was just spending my time camping when in reality I was learning to hunt. Each victory rewarding me with another meal and another lost flavour recover. I don’t know when but at some point I must have been indoctrinated into the forest as animals start to recognized me and view me with mix feelings, some avoid me, some remain near as I was in a way protecting them and some, must have turn me into a challenge, in how they tried to hunt me. Those last ones were my usual dinner, if it happened.”

“How long did you spend in that cabin?”

“These days I only go when I have a craving and try to be as short as possible just visiting twice or thrice a year but back then. I spent almost a whole year there, sleeping there four times a week, during which I constructed my set of rules. If I were to be the predator I had a duty not to upset the balance in the ecosystem so I set myself 4 conditions.”

He lifted 4 fingers and one by one put them down as it listed his condition “Never the female of the species to avoid targeting a pregnant one, never the cubs to ensure its legacy, only predators and only take what you need. With those rules I pray I never upset any balance established there, and at times to my surprise other predators started to join me in some of my hunts. I didn’t mind much, I only needed a portion of my usual prey, so they could have the rest of the body after.”

“Marky dear, don’t get me wrong, this is an amazing story to tell the least and I’m fascinated by it but I think you are getting side tracked, what does any of this have to do with Futtershy?”

“I’m getting there, sorry for this sidetrack but I needed to tell you so you could understand better what happened. You see, with my rising popularity and allies when I went hunting my prey started to…increase in size and at one point I decided to target one that would give me all the meat I would ever want and will not need to actually kill it” He sigh and close eyes “I planed, executed, and succeed in taking down the head of a hydra”

Milky actually gasped at the revelation, more than enticed by the story.

“After a battle as intense as that one I was just more than pumped full of adrenaline, it’s flesh was by far the best of them all, I don’t know how it was possible but it tasted like pork, a tender more elastic type but it was definitely pork and after roasting and adding the right condiments, I was on cloud nine munching on my final trophy as I saved some of it in my freezer and the rest gave away to my friends, the Manticores that helped me bring it down.” He smiled and cleared some of his drool remembering the flavour.

“But then disaster happened, I was so sure there was no one there, it was the middle of the night, outside my cabin. Every animal was either sleeping, or eating what we hunted. I even left some pieces for stranglers that wanted a piece as well. So if someone was there it could only mean they were targeting me specifically. Normally I would have just given them a warning or scared them away but that night I had so much adrenaline, so high from the hunt that when I saw a pair of eyes looking at me. I…I decided to chase.”

He blurted in shame now putting his hand on his forehead “I thought it was just another predator, a small one at that, meaning it was fast and if giving distance it could surprise attack me with a projectile or something so I just kept chasing as to not let it get away, starting to growl for some reason and eventually I reached my mark as I pounced and grabbed it, with my arms and legs, with force pinning it to the ground, not giving any chances. At that moment, a cloud was blocking the moon so everything was dark but I paused when in my hug I felt something soft in my palm and when the light of the moon came back I was frozen to see the frightened figure of Fluttershy who, as soon as I relaxed my hug, jump and backed away from me.”

Some tears started to stream from his eyes. “That poor pegasus I almost hunted one of my closest friends, the look of terror in her eyes, the shakening of her body, the red face she had from embarrassment because of the grab I even made her pee a little as there was a wet spot on her skirt.”

He had to sniff before continuing. “To this day the only thing I wanted to do was apologize but when I took a step closer her wings sprung to attention in a defense mechanism making me back away as she took to the air faster than I could see.”

Rubbing his shoulder Milky tries to console him as his blood shot eyes looked at her “The following days I tried to speak to her, lord knows why she didn’t tell anyone what I really was doing. Did she understand me somehow? Did she know I could eat meat all alone? I’m so lost and confused I don’t know what to think! When we spoke at Sugar Cube Corner I thought she finally forgave me but then, she kissed me?! I…I just don’t know what else to think!”

“Shh!” Milky guided his head, resting it on her chest and letting him cry. Rocking back and forth “It’s ok honey, it’s ok, you didn’t do anything wrong.”

“Yes I did, I traumatized the kindest mare in Equestria and now I’m afraid I might make her feel some bizarre stockholm syndrome, I’m the worst!”

“No you are not, whatever happens I’m sure there is an explanation for what happened. Don’t worry, we will find out what it was, together” She reassures him, patting his head and helping him calm down.