Chapter 9

Joel shuddered alive, his eyes wide to the flaking ceiling and gasping for air as his body was drenched in sweat. His mind spun and felt his heart drop as he saw Spike fall limp before his whole world went black. He killed Spike right in front of him, leaving Joel helpless to stop him. He was going to release everything he had in his stomach, he felt his knees go weak as he saw Spike’s unflinching form. He… he killed him. Spike is dead. It happened so quickly, it got out of control and it only took one bullet to end it, just with a simple pull of a trigger.

Joel felt his body tense as murderous thoughts enter the forefront of Joel’s mind, how he wanted to cut him limb from limb as he hanged from the chains, how he wanted to make Leo scream for forgiveness as he pealed every bit of his skin, how he wanted his last moments to be seeing his own intestines spill out from his guts as he slowly fades out. His death will be sluggish and fitting.

Leaning up from the couch with his pistol in hand, and a face of turmoil. He scanned the room carefully, looking everywhere for the rat he let into his home. Everywhere was clean however, no signs of struggle anywhere. Did he kill Ditzy too? No, there is no blood. Getting up from the couch, Joel raised the berretta as he pointed the barrel every which way, ready to shoot first when he sees the bastard. He took his bandaged arm out of the dressing as he tensed and untensed his hand to see if it was in use. Happy with the condition, he headed towards the door with only one thing on his mind. Slowly, he opened the creaking door to the hallway as he manoeuvred his way passed the small crack of the door, his pistol still raised and loaded.
Clear…

He heard movement upstairs and Joel expected the worst as it sounded like it was coming from his room. Wait… where the hell is Dinky? Thoughts of his hands on her made Joel’s skin crawl. He needed to keep moving. Slowly, he went upstairs step by step, his gun pointing at the top of the stairway as he contemplated just running for the room. Reaching the top, he saw that the door was slightly open to Joel’s room. He could hear his creaking bed moving slightly which made his blood boil. Again… Ditzy was being… Joel was done with his stealth, he just wanted to shoot the fucker. Marching over, he kicked near the handle of the door, making the door swing open and for Joel to swarm in.

“GET OFF HER YOU FU-”

His words died as a young child’s scream stopped him in his tracks, the end of the gun was pointing at Dinky who was on his bed, books piled on one side of her, her phone in one hand and a muffin in the other as she shook, staring down the barrel’s caverns.

“MAMA!”

Suddenly, multiple running footsteps came from the ground level, soon the creaking of the stairs got louder as whoever was coming up was nearly outside the door. Turning the gun’s direction to the open door, he waited with a cold-hearted stare as his finger twitched in eagerness. When a grey Pegasus came into sight, he quickly stopped himself from squeezing the trigger as he met her horrified gaze as she froze up like a deer in headlights.

“Joel… what are you doing?” Ditzy said carefully, her heart racing. Joel let his arm fall to his side, disbelief on his face.

“I—I thought—” Joel stuttered, looking between the two terrified faces.

“He was going to shoot me!” Dinky suddenly yelled, running passed Joel as she now hid behind Ditzy.

“No—NO! it wasn’t like that. I thought you was in trouble.” Joel quickly panicked, dropping the gun to show he meant no harm. Then, the person he was looking for strolled in, looking curiously at Joel. “Wh-what the hell is going on?” Joel murmured to himself as he held his head, slowly walking back until he bumped into his bed, making him sit on the side. His head was clattered, what the fuck is going on? It only got worse as Spike walked in, a troubled look on his face as he looked at Joel.

“Joel… are you okay?” Spike said meticulously, slowly walking towards Joel. Spike… alive? No, that’s impossible. I saw him fall lifelessly to the floor, another corpse that he had seen so, where are the bullet holes? Where is the blood? Why is Spike not dead? “Joel, why are you pale? You look like you’ve just seen a ghost.”

“I think I’m fucking looking at one.” Joel whispered as his wide eyes never left Spike. “You are supposed to be dead… you were shot, you died right in front of me.” Joel said shakily, feeling his handshake uncontrollably.

“Dead? Joel, I’m right here, see? We made it out last night, don’t you remember?” Spike said caringly, his arms wrapped around Joel’s shoulder as he sat next to him on the bed.

“No, I saw Leo shoot you… I saw you die.” Joel interjected, his voice rising as he felt his mind crumble. What is going on?

“What… Joel, me and Leo are in the kitchen making dinner. Ditzy had just gotten back from the market, picking up a few things like milk and bread, and Dinky has been in your room… You’ve been asleep ever since we came in.” Spike said confused. “Whatever you saw, it wasn’t real… you were asleep, it must have been a nightmare.”

A nightmare… he was having a nightmare… that would make sense now that he thought about it. In the nightmare, Leo had Joel’s gun so, why was it in his hands when he got up from the couch? His arm wasn’t bandaged up when he raised both of his hands to Leo. Plus, Frank was there, even though he can appear in his sleep, he can appear in the real world when he least expects it but, he picked up an apple and ate it in front of Joel, a figment of his imagination couldn’t do that in the real world. A nightmare… it was just a fucking nightmare.

“Out…” Joel whispered, his head low as he rested it on his fist, realisation setting in. Getting the hint, Spike patted Joel’s back and ushered the rest to do the same. Joel was furious, humiliated and ashamed of himself. He let his feelings get the best of him, and instead of realising it was a dream, he went off his rockers and looked for blood. Is this what he has turned into now? A fucking mindless animal? Am I going to start mindlessly killing too?

“Joel…” Ditzy’s soft voice said, her heart racing at how Joel is acting. “Are you o-”

“I SAID FUCKING GET OUT!” Joel bellowed, making Ditzy jump as he raised from the bed with a mad look in his eye. “Just get out… I just want to be left alone.”

Ditzy saw his dead eyes, his fed-up look Joel had broke Ditzy’s heart. He begged her to go but, his eyes said something different. Slowly, she walked towards him, making Joel scowl.

“Ditzy, fuck off! I’m not joking.” Joel rumbled but Ditzy never stopped, instead she gently pushed him backwards, making him sit on the bed once again. She sat next to him with his hand in hers.

“Talk to me.” Ditzy said like an angel, making Joel feel like the devil.

“Ditzy please, just give me some space.” Leo said feebly, holding himself back.

“I’m not going anywhere until I know what troubles you.” Ditzy declared. Joel chuckled lightly.

“You wouldn’t understand but, I’m bloody losing it. I can’t tell what’s real anymore, I can’t tell if I’m still dreaming. Do you know how that feels? To not know what is real and what isn’t?” Joel said to her, looking up to look at her affected features.

“No… not really. When I wake up from a nightmare, I just know I’m awake, but, why? Why do you wake up like this?” Ditzy asked, rubbing his hand with her thumb. Joel shuck his head.

“If I told you, you still wouldn’t understand or believe me for that matter. My head is so full of shit that I’m surprised that I’m not as thick as pig shit.” Joel chuckled pitifully.

“That’s why I’m here, I want to understand why you went upstairs to Dinky with a gun. You scared me half to death when I heard Dinky shouting, I thought someone had broken in.” Joel cringed; he must admit that he could have handled that situation better. If he hadn’t gone all guns blazing like that, maybe he wouldn’t be sitting here, feeling like a complete cunt.

“I had a nightmare… a vivid one. Everything was so real, from the touch, the smell to the things I heard… I woke up to see you still there, stroking my head. After that, I went to open the door for both Spike and Dinky to come in. Once I introduced Spike to Leo, I headed to the kitchen to get something to eat but… then I heard a gunshot. Leo had shot Spike and had you hostage. Leo wasn’t happy with the deal so, he wanted a new one. I tried my best to organise a fair deal but, Spike was hysterical, and Leo was drunk on the power he had over me. In the end, Spike tried to attack him but, ended up with a bullet in the head. That’s when I blacked out and woke up in this world, when I heard movement in my room, I thought—I thought he was doing stuff to you…” Joel explained his nightmare, sighing tiredly. He turned to Ditzy with a tired look. “So, you could imagine my confusion when I see you three at the doorway like nothing happened, it drove me crazy, and it still is. I don’t even know if you’re real.” Joel said softly, his available hand reaching out to touch Ditzy’s cheek, feeling her smooth skin in the palm of his hand. Ditzy smiled gently as she leaned into it, her hand against his as her heart melted under this incredible feeling.

“I am as real as it gets.” Ditzy giggled adorably as she purred, making Joel’s frown deepen. What if this is still a dream? Maybe Spike is still on the floor dead and Leo is doing god knows what while he is unconscious. He felt really vulnerable if that was the case. “I’m real, I can feel you and you can feel me. I don’t know if that helps but, I don’t know what else to say. I can only give you my word that this is the real me and not all inside your head.” Ditzy said warmly, turning his frown into a small smile as he nodded.

“I can feel you, and that is enough for me to believe you. Come on, let's go before Spike and Leo get the wrong idea.” Joel said, taking back his hand and standing with a stretch, picking his beretta back up and pocketing it. Ditzy was going to ask what he meant by that but, one look at his cheeky smile and the room she was in made the blushing pegasus stand and gently smack the back of his head.

“Perv.” She muttered on her way out. Joel followed.

“Says the one half-naked.” Joel replied, making Ditzy’s rosy cheeks infect the rest of her face as she pulled the bottom half of his hoodie down, feeling conscious of her backside. “Wait… Spike said you went shopping… did you—”

“Of course not!” Ditzy quickly turned around, an embarrassed look on her face. “I got changed once my clothes were out of the laundry and dry.”

“So… why are you back in my hoodie?” Joel raised a brow, making Ditzy shuffle, self-conscious by getting caught out.

“Its… comfy.” Ditzy retorted, flipping the hood over her eyes as her wings ruffled slightly. Joel shuck his head with a smile as he walked passed Ditzy.

“I’ll never understand what the big deal is with girls and boy’s hoodies. It’s like Eden Hazard and burgers, you won’t see one without the other.” Joel laughed, making his way down the stairs.

“Shut up!” Ditzy said with a flustered face. “Who the hell is Eden Hazard anyway?”

“A famous football player.”

“Oh…”

Fluttershy hasn’t felt this excited in a very long time as she made her way back home. She couldn’t get rid of the smile she wore as she tried to go as fast as she could on her bike, only slowing down to turn or cross the road. She was even using her wings to go that bit faster. She felt giddy at the thought of getting away from responsibility, to just… relax. That word felt so alien to her, not once could she remember relaxing in her own home or school. To get away from accountability sounded heavenly. She briefly wondered what it would be like to live with a human. It sounded silly but, she couldn’t help but wonder what his habits were at home. Does he have a culturally different way of doing things at home? What does he have for dinner? How is his house designed? What music does he like? What’s his favourite animal? Her questions were endless, and her imagination ran wild. She had to stop herself before she started questioning whether he would put milk in before the boiling water of a cup of tea, she shuck her head of the silliness.

When the smooth concrete of the floor turned into gravelly soil, she took a long whiff of the forest’s scent. The bushes that inhabited small critters made Fluttershy beam as they came out to see who the traveller was, seeing it was only Fluttershy, they all followed. All around her, she heard the wildlife as birds chirped in the trees, the sky, and even thoughts that landed on her shoulder, chirping their greetings with a happy tune.

“Why hello to you too,” Fluttershy said happily, watching them fly off to a tree above. As she saw them fly away, she also saw something else up there in the sky overshadowing her. Her eyes widened.
No way… Why is she following me…

She fell from the sky, nose-diving down in front of Fluttershy as she pulled the brakes just in time as a dust cloud surrounded both Fluttershy and the other pegasus. Once the dust cloud cleared, Fluttershy just stared at Rainbow Dash in awe. Rainbow panted a bit as she dusted herself off.

“Fluttershy, we need to talk,” Rainbow said seriously that unnerved Fluttershy. “Who was the one that did that to you?” Fluttershy looked away anxiously. She couldn’t tell Rainbow Dash. Fluttershy believed if she did tell Rainbow or Sunset, they would literally murder over it. Rainbow Dash and Sunset was really protective of Fluttershy, making it so that no one speaks badly of her or thinks of hurting her. In the literal sense, she was the most protected student in Canterlot High School.

“Rainbow Dash, not now. I have to get home.” Fluttershy grumbled, trying to avoid her question as she turned to ride passed her. Rainbow wasn’t having any of it, she stepped in front of Fluttershy’s bike.

“Who did that to you?” Rainbow said again, the edge in her tone never waving.

“I’m fine, it’s not going to happen again.” Fluttershy replied, turning her bike once again. Once again, Rainbow got in the way and grabbed the handlebars of the bike.

“Fluttershy… Who did that to you?” Rainbow said with more venom, looking more tenacious than ever. “Why won’t you tell me who it was?”

“Because I’m giving him a second chance.”

“WHAT!” Rainbow roared, her wings shooting out as her grip around the handlebars tightened. “Why the fuck—Fluttershy! He hurt you! Why the fuck are you letting him go? I’d kill the fucking cunt!”

“That’s why I’m not telling you or the girls, you’ll ruin his life, and I don’t want that. Mistakes happen and he wasn’t right in the head. He must have been drunk or something, he wasn’t himself.” Fluttershy argued, getting a bit angry herself.

“I don’t give a fuck if he was clinically insane, I don’t care if it was an accident. The bastard who marked you is going to get a beating of a lifetime.” Rainbow Dash vowed.

“Rainbow! Listen to yourself, and you wonder why I don’t trust you enough to tell you anything anymore. You're completely out of control. I don’t like what he did but, I don’t want to be the person that destroys his life.” Fluttershy said, making Rainbow furious.

“It’s rather you tell us who it is, or we find out, whatever is going to happen to him, is going to happen any time soon. You might as well tell us.”

“What are you getting out of this, huh? Do you look for any excuse to beat anyone up? Do you get a kick out of it? Or is it revenge? Whatever you think about doing, it's not going to solve anything. Violence isn't the only option; you just choose it because it's the easiest option.” Fluttershy exclaimed, making Rainbow step back in slight shock, making the nature sounds around them silent. Rainbow’s features hardened once her shock was gone.

“And you damn know why that is, Fluttershy. Don’t make me take you back 4 years ago, the day I thought I lost you.”

It was in an instant, all the blood left her face, and Fluttershy’s eyes went to pinpricks. She couldn’t stop shaking, she couldn’t breathe. Horrific images flashed in her mind as people she once knew laid lifelessly, their eyes as terrified as she was. There were so many knife wounds, they whispered to her how it hurt. A kitchen knife in one hand and a pink-skinned baby in the other as the killer gazed down upon Fluttershy with a wicked grin.
Blood… So much blood…

Suddenly, Fluttershy shot off her bike, grabbing her head as an unbelievable pain in her head brought her to her knees, screaming hysterically as tears blurred her world as the images never stopped haunting her. Rainbow Dash was scarred as she watched Fluttershy break down right in front of her, crying out for it to stop. Immediately, Rainbow slid down to Fluttershy’s level, holding her tight as she felt Fluttershy’s body vibrate violently. She had no idea that Fluttershy would react in such a way, Rainbow was only trying to prove a point.

“Dead… They're all dead…” Fluttershy sobbed into Rainbow Dash, Dash gripped onto her for dear life. Her heartbeat went faster than she could fly, and her mind raced with millions of thoughts that she had zero answers to. Rainbow thought she was over this, a miserable memory in the back of her mind but, she was clearly wrong... So wrong.

“Fluttershy, please calm down. It’s okay… I’m here—I’m here and I won’t let anything happen to you ever again, I promise I won’t, not again, never again.” Rainbow whispered in Fluttershy’s ears as tears filled her vision also. It wasn’t meant to be like this, all she wanted to do is make her understand that whatever happened to her will affect Fluttershy for the worst. Rainbow felt sick as all she could do is listen to Fluttershy’s whaling. Fluttershy’s jugular was on fire as she slowly lost her voice, her throat dry from all the screaming. Eventually, she had no voice to speak, no more tears to spill, and no energy to give. She just painfully breathed as she let Rainbow hold her tightly.

“I’m sorry, Fluttershy. I’m so sorry.” Rainbow spluttered, sniffing softly. That was enough for the torturing thoughts to fade, her throbbing head present but, she had feeling in the rest of her body. Slowly, she got up from her knees, Rainbow following her up. “Are you okay?” Rainbow asked nervously, the blank look on Fluttershy’s face putting Dash on edge.

“Go away…” Fluttershy tried to say, her lost voice making it impossible for Rainbow to hear.

“What? I couldn’t hear you.” Rainbow said with a worried look, leaning her ear in.

“I said… go away.” She said faintly, Rainbow Dash just about hearing as she frowned, Fluttershy wasn’t happy, she was furious, Rainbow could see it in her eye. Rainbow had crossed the line and she knew it. Slowly, she let go of Fluttershy and backed off, letting Fluttershy pick her bike up. Fluttershy didn’t have the energy to ride it, she just walked along with it as Rainbow moved out of the way. Fluttershy never stopped walking, lifelessly walking as she never looked back. Rainbow cursed herself for being such an asshole. Why did she have to bring that dark tragedy up? She shouldn’t have done that, that was out of order by her. Rainbow didn’t bother chasing her, she has already done more damage to their friendship than good. She could only hope that it didn’t diminish their friendship for good. So, with a heavy heart, Rainbow walked the opposite way.

Fluttershy finally made it home with no joy she once had showing. She was destroyed by the lost memory and filled with heartache as she could still remember their screams. She had lost everything that day – almost everything. She had Mimosa still, she was still alive and Fluttershy could only thank god she was alive. She couldn’t remember much for her age; all she could remember was the dead bodies of her loved ones as they looked at her in pure horror. All she could remember was her running, she ran and ran with little Mimosa in her arms as she was being chased. She could remember how exhausted she was as she tried to escape but, every time she looked over her shoulder, she would always see the blood-caked smile of the murderer. She only got away with pure luck – if she could call it that. She was cornered between the edge of the clouds and the killer, Fluttershy was a pegasus but, a very weak one. With no other options, Fluttershy jumped as she furiously flapped her wings, screaming all the way down and holding Mimosa tightly. Her wings and branches that met her on the way down did stop the momentum but, the damage was done when she crash-landed on the floor. After that, everything was a blur, a moment in her life she wished to forget. Unfortunately, the past always seems to find her every time by any means. There’s always something to trigger that gloomy night, and it will always end the same way.

Fluttershy was about to open the door but, something trickled on her forehead, making her flinch. Tapping the place where the liquid hit her, Fluttershy’s eye’s widened as crimson stained her finger.
Blood… Why is there blood…

Agonisingly slow, Fluttershy looked up and she covered her mouth as she gasped in terror. She stepped back slowly and fell back on her knees, her lip quivering as her heart died at that moment. When she looked up, hanging from the peak of the grass-filled roof was six small nooses but, only four were in use as a fully grown brown sparrow and three smaller sparrows hung from their necks, a decoration as they slightly swung from the wind. Only two nooses were left empty and Fluttershy understood the message. After all this time… No—not now. She must leave. Now!

Suddenly, she snapped her head around as a stick snapped behind her. She didn’t see anyone but, she felt someone’s eyes on her as the air was still and avoid of sound. Why had it gotten so quiet? Slowly, she got up back onto her feet and walked back to the front door scanning the Everfree’s border as a bush started to shake. Full of paranoia, Fluttershy quickly opened the door and entered as she locked the door.

“YOU FUCKING WHAT!” Joel exclaimed to Spike who just rolled his eyes as everyone sat at the dinner table, even Dinky and Leo.

Smack!

“Language!” Ditzy scowled, making Joel rub the back of his head. “Dinky is listening.” Ditzy whispered harshly in his ear, making him flinch away from another smack.

“I invited Fluttershy over for a few days, she’s having problems and I thought it would be nice to bring her over.” Spike shrugged, cutting a piece of steak and munching it down as he tasted the juices. “She was desperate to get away from her problems.”

“She’s about to get more problems when she finds out that-” Joel looked over to Dinky as she ignorantly ate away. “we’re killers…” Joel whispered across the table, making Spike tsk.

“If we’re careful enough, she won’t have to know.” Spike said simply.

“It’s not that simple, Spike.” Joel shuck his head as he sighed, glaring at the plate of food in front of him. “Nothing good will come out of this.”

“Joel’s right, you two can’t afford to be caught and Fluttershy won’t be easy to convince her to keep this a secret.” Ditzy chimed in, neatly chewing her food. “Why did you exactly let her come over? Must be a hell of a reason if risking yourself being caught.”

Spike didn’t answer straight away, he didn’t know if he should tell Joel about what happened to Fluttershy. Joel was unpredictable. He may look calm but, that could quickly change when he sees her face. Maybe it was a bad idea to bring her along, yet again he couldn’t leave her alone while Feather Bang is still out there. She can be safe here, she wouldn’t have to worry about Feather Bang while he and Joel are there to protect her. She’s in safe hands. Still, if she does find out and responds difficultly, what then… He should have talked to Joel about this. The pros and cons are too heavy, Spike should have thought this through. Spike might as well tell him, Fluttershy doesn’t know Joel is Frank and will tell Joel what happened. She doesn’t think Joel will do anything considering she doesn’t know the stuff he does at night. Spike sighed.

“Fluttershy was attacked last night in her own home, she managed to defend herself before Feather Bang could—you know…” Spike said fervently, the mood of the table having mixed reactions. Ditzy was understandably the most sympathetic about the news, Leo lost his trademark grin, and Dinky had a confused-worried look on her face but, Joel’s reaction was the most surprising. Spike expected Joel to be outraged with intent to kill but, his blank, lifeless look didn’t waver. He didn’t even flinch about the news.

“I see why you want Fluttershy to stay over but, she is still a risk. Maybe if you told me in advance, we could have worked something out.” Joel said without a hint of anger, instead he had a calculating look as he considered his options. “You were right to bring her but, I don’t appreciate the lack of warning.” Joel said, finishing up his tea as he wiped his mouth with a napkin. “Anyway, thank you for the meal, got to prepare for a new and hopefully the last guest of the day.” Joel said, standing up and tucking in his chair after he was done with it.

“Hey mom.” Dinky murmured, playing with her food. “Applebloom was wondering if I could sleepover at hers tonight with the rest of our friends, could I go?” Dinky asked, nervously picking at her steak. Ditzy didn’t answer straight away, she looked over at Joel who looked over his shoulder to meet her own eyes. Joel wordlessly shrugged and walked out the door. Ditzy looked back with a conflicted look, on one hand, it would be good for her to have fun with all her friends for a night but, on the other hand comes the dangers out there.

“Muffin, I don’t think that’s such a good idea. After what happened… I don’t think I could handle you being anywhere but by my side at night.” Ditzy said, full of guilt as she wished she didn’t deprive her of her fun but, Ditzy’s number one priority was her daughter’s safety

“But mom~!” Dinky whined.

“No buts, little missy. With bad men out there, I won’t let you out of my sight.” Ditzy said with a serious tone.

“Maybe you could go with her?” Leo added in, also finished as he sipped a glass of water. “If you are so worried about her, maybe you should go with her to the sleepover.” Leo said nonchalantly.

“Yeah, sounds like a good idea!” Dinky perked up, a toothy grin on her face. Ditzy looked over to Spike who hadn’t given his opinion. He just shrugged, finishing off his drink with a sigh.

“If you want to go, just go but, I think it's good for Dinky to be around friends too.” Spike said, and with that, Ditzy made up her mind.

“Okay… I’ll let you go but, only if I can come to watch over you.” Ditzy sighed, her heart sinking. The last time Ditzy let Dinky stay over at her friends, they were dragged to an alley and were almost separated from her daughter forever. To let that happen again without Joel to protect them, she wasn’t sure if it was too late to back out. Looking at Dinky’s smiling face however, she didn’t want to ruin her young, childish happiness she has. She can’t isolate herself from memories like these, good memories that keep her away from the negativity all around her.

*Knock, knock, knock!*

“That must be Fluttershy, I’ll get that.” Spike said getting up and heading towards the door. When Spike opened the door, he was mildly surprised as a small child was on the shoulders of Fluttershy, a beaming smile on the little pegasus. Fluttershy had a suitcase in hand with a pink backpack, Fluttershy looked exhausted as the little girl wriggled around. There was also a grey wolf oddly enough, just standing next to Fluttershy as it just panted lightly and wagged his tail. Spike couldn't believe it, a grey wolf? Spike thought they went extinct years ago.

“Hello, are you Joel!” Cheered the light blue little girl, her little wings flapping excitedly. Spike was overwhelmed by the cute girl as his heart melted.

“No but, I know someone that’s called Joel. My name is Spike, what’s yours?” Spike said politely, making the girl giggle.

“Spike? That’s a funny name, isn’t it, Fang?” The little girl said, looking down at the Wolf called Fang. Fang barked with approval. “I think I’m going to call you Spiky! My name is Mimosa, it’s nice to meet you!” Mimosa said, making Spike’s smile fall comedically. S-S-S-S-S-S-Spikey! Did she really just call him Spiky? Only two people has ever called him Spiky, and it was his new crush and Rosette.

“Mimosa, don’t be so rude.” Fluttershy barely said, her voice not reaching the ears of the hyperactive Mimosa but, Spike just about heard her.

“Fluttershy, are you okay? You don’t sound good.” Spike said, coming down the stairs and helping her with her suitcase. He guided them in.

“I’m okay, just lost my voice.” Said Fluttershy, a small smile on her face.

“You were speaking fine a couple of hours ago, what happened?” Spike asked with concern.

“Nothing… just leave it,” Fluttershy said weakly, hacking as she winced in pain, coughing lightly. Spike wanted to protest against that but, he’d let it go for now. She looked like she was having a rough day and he didn’t want to make it worse than it already is. Before they stepped through, Spike stopped them.

“Before you come in, please take your shoes off, it’s one of Joel’s rules.” Spike shrugged. With a nod, Fluttershy took Mimosa off her shoulders and proceeded to take off her shoes as Mimosa did the same. They both put them on the shoe rack. “Also, about your wolf, I don’t know if he’s allowed in.” Spike turned around and shouted up the stairs.

“Are we allowed to have animals in the house, Joel?” There was silence before Dinky ran through with excitement.

“Animals!” She squealed with wonder, a bright smile on her face as she ran to Spike’s side. She gasped in amazement. “A grey wolf!” She said in awe.

“You can stroke him, he doesn’t bite.” Mimosa giggled, and like that, she lunged in and furiously hugged the enthusiastic wolf.

“What animal is it?” Joel said faintly from somewhere upstairs. Spike looked back at the grey wolf called Fang, still unbelieving of what he saw. A fucking grey wolf. He turned back to the staircase.

“A grey wolf,” There was silence for a moment, Spike could imagine Joel’s disbelieving look. There was a door opening and closing from upstairs, and the stairs creaked with each step. Eventually, Fluttershy's small smile grew as she saw Joel walk down, the genuine smile was completed when she saw him fully. Spike noticed that bandaged sling that was supposed to keep his arm up was missing as he scarred arm was on display. His arm is fucking broken and was riddled with knives yesterday but, he’s acting like he can’t feel a thing. That is beyond reckless.

“A what?” Joel said with a curious look. “Because I think I heard there was a grey wolf at my front door.” Spike just nodded and moved out of the way to see Dinky hugging the fuck out of a familiar-looking wolf. Joel stopped at the bottom of the staircase. “Oh not you.” Joel said with dread.

It was in an instant when Fang laid eyes on Joel, his tail waggled faster and Fang pawed forward, making Dinky let go. As Fang was about to pounce on him, Joel caught the two paws of the wolf but, he was defenceless from the tongue that assaulted Joel’s face.

“PHANSI!” Joel barked, making Fang get down back on all fours. “HLALA!” Fang sat in front of Joel, ready for his next command. Joel kneeled in front of Fang and put his hand out. “I-Paw.” And like that, Fang put his paw in the palm of Joel’s hand. Joel smiled. “Good boy.”

Everyone was confused and gobsmacked to some degree as they watched Joel handle the grey wolf like a pet dog, even Ditzy and Leo had their brows raised from the doorway of the dining room.

“Now there’s something you don’t see every day,” Leo muttered. “Let me know when pigs start flying too.” Leo chuckled, heading back to the living room. Fluttershy was stunned. When Fluttershy thought she had seen it all from this human, he goes and does the one thing she found impossible. In all her time taking care of animals, Fang was the only one she couldn't understand fully. Sure, she could point to where she wanted him to go or do and read his body language but, if she told him what to do, her demands go out one ear and out the other. She found it to be hard to control Fang without Mimosa, even then he did what he wants. He was too chaotic, stubborn and prideful that Fluttershy just let Mimosa handle him. So, as she watched Fang take a direct order and obey it was like taking a slap to the face for the past few years of having him.

“That was so coooooool! You were all like PANSI, then you was like HLALALALALA! How did you just do that!?” A mind-blown Mimosa shouted in awe as she rushed over. “I’ve tried to get him to sit for so long but, you did it in seconds!”

Joel enjoyed the energy of the sky-blue pegasus as he chuckled. “We’ve bumped into each other a few times at a bar, we got to talking, we had a few things in common and we became best friends,” Joel said teasingly as he scratched underneath Fang’s chin. Mimosa squinted in suspicion and crossed her arms.

“That’s not true! First of all, Fang is too young to be drinking because he’s only 13 years old! Second of all, he can’t be your best friend because he’s my best friend!” Mimosa accused as she hugged an oblivious Fang defensively, Fang looking at Joel with happiness.

“Well aren’t you a cheeky one, can’t we just share him?”

“No!”

“Fair enough.” Joel shrugged with a snigger, getting up to see a flabbergasted Fluttershy, a small blush on her face. “So, you want to come in or—” Fluttershy was knocked out of her mental breakdown in her head and stepped into the hallway as Spike closed the door behind her.

“Hi Joel, long time no see,” Fluttershy said quietly, trying to speak as loud as possible, rubbing her throat as it felt uncomfortable to talk. Joel narrowed his eyes at that.

“Sore throat?” Joel asked and Fluttershy nodded. “Ditzy, could you get a glass of water for Fluttershy, please love?” Joel asked instantly. When Ditzy was snapped out of the spectacle, she didn’t waste a second as she headed for the kitchen. Looking back at Fang and the two kids giving him all the attention, Joel smirked. “Why don’t you three have some fun upstairs while we get Fluttershy sorted, ay?” Joel suggested and Mimosa quickly nodded.

“Yeah! Let’s go!” Mimosa said as she pointed up the stairs but, Fang sat still and turned to Joel for his order.

“Hamba!” Joel ordered and like that, Fang followed Mimosa and Dinky up the stairs.

“How?” Fluttershy said in a mute tone with amazement, taking off Mimosa’s pink backpack.

“Don’t speak, you’ll only make it worse. Once we sort you out, you can ask as many questions as you like, okay?” Joel said with a comforting smile, making Fluttershy nod her head gently. In the living room, the radio was switched off and the TV was on as two men sat at a table with microphones in front of them.

“—With illegal weapons stored within the warehouse when the fire took place, the investigation is still ongoing to find whom it belonged to. The fire was coursed by an accident, a coincidental gas leak was mixed with chemicals that turned the fire green. The gunshots that were heard were the bullets being triggered by the heat that reacted with the gunpowder inside, making the bullet burst. During this event, no one was thankfully hurt due to the area being isolated and abandoned. The weapons and ammunition that have been untouched have been gathered and confiscated by the authorities and the rest have been destroyed. What do you think of that, Thunder? The story adds up but, knowing Canterlot City, there could be more to this story.” Jinx said, reading the news article from his laptop. He looked over with a cigar in between his fingers.

“We are lucky that the warehouse did catch flames when it did, Jinx. Someone or a gang had smuggled enough weapons and ammunition to start a war with the city’s government. If that ever happened, the army would be involved to fight back this resistance and Canterlot will be caught in the crossfire. I can’t imagine how much the damages will cost, many lives would be lost, and it would only motivate gangs to start a riot. Worst case scenario, Canterlot falls to those rebels and the city will crumble into survival. The aftermath will be the start of Equestria’s downfall. At this point, this should be a wake-up call for the mayor as this must have been a plot to overthrow the government. They have to take action because no one else will. If the mayor does nothing about this, I’m packing my things and taking my son to Fillydelphia.” Thunder replied with an urgent tone, not looking all too pleased by the situation. Leo chuckled.

“It’s funny how these haven’t caught on yet, the information is right in front of them, and they're eating it all up like toddlers.”

“No one wants to hear that, Leo. Change the channel or switch the TV off.” Joel said as both Fluttershy and Joel sat down. Leo veered around with a ciggy in between his fingers. Fluttershy was stunned as she wasn’t ready to see another human, a much older one as lines of grey hairs started to show in his hair and facial hair.

“Aye-aye, boss man,” Leo said, taking a puff in one hand and a remote in the other as he switched channels to a cooking channel. One look at a minced pie and Leo started drooling. “Fucking hell, I think I need seconds.”

From the door, Ditzy walked in with a fresh glass of water. Fluttershy nodded thankfully as she took the cold drink and took a long swig that tickled her throat. “Thank you.” Fluttershy said as she cleared her throat before speaking.

“So Fluttershy, Spike told me something happened last night, is that true?” Joel said, all smiles gone as Ditzy sat on the other side of Joel. Fluttershy had a far stare. “Feather Bang attacked you last night, I bet he was fed up with you, wasn’t he?” Joel muttered, his words cutting deep.

“Your safe here,” Ditzy said comfortingly, a small smile on her face. “The bastard won’t do anything while you’re here.” Joel noticed that her hair was in the way of her eye. Slowly, Joel reached out and gently brushed away her pink hair. He saw the bruising; he saw her bloodshot eye as it was half shut. Joel’s jaw rotated slightly as he kept his cool look.

“I can do something about it, if you want. I can scare him, threaten him? I can make sure that he never looks at you again.” Joel said calmly, the options terrifying to Fluttershy.

“No—no, that’s okay. Just as long as he stays away from me will do.” Fluttershy sputtered.

“I still think he can rot in hell.” Spike said, closing the door behind him as the suitcase was now missing.

“No, it’s fine. If Fluttershy wants us to leave it, we’ll leave it.” Joel said with a shrug. “But…” Joel started, looking at Fluttershy with a deep glare. “If I find out that he does anything else to you— I don’t know what I’ll do but, I’ll make sure he’ll never forget the day,” Joel said darkly, making Fluttershy’s hair stand on end. On the outside, Joel was calm and collected but, Fluttershy saw it clearly as she saw a flame in his eye, a rage that was contained with trained ease and pushed away to the back of his mind. How much anger has he been holding onto? Will there be a day when he will use it or, let it go? He’s a human with a kind heart but, with that look… She wasn’t too sure anymore.

Ditzy coughed abruptly, making the gloomy tension turn to Ditzy. “Well, I better get ready. Dinky is going over to Applebloom’s for a sleepover. I’m going to stay over at Applejacks just in case.” Ditzy said, standing up and heading towards the door.

“Eh, you're staying over at Applejack’s house, why?” Joel asked, looking concerned.

“Yeah, I want her to go and have fun but, I won’t let her leave my sight. Might as well stay close while she has fun.” Ditzy shrugged but with a hint of nervousness.

“Yeah… Okay.” Joel nodded. He made a mental note to talk to her if that was the case. Once she left, Spike took her seat.

“What a fucking day.” Spike sighed, rubbing his face as he threw his head back. “I got into a fight again at lunch break, Flash just knows how to push my buttons.”

“Then Principle Celestia came to stop it; her power is incredible,” Fluttershy added, shivering at the thought of it.

“Celestia… The alicorn? Now that is a woman I would cha-cha with. The maturity of an elder and the body of a goddess, yes please!” Leo said with a wiggle of his eyebrows.

“Don’t mind Leo, he won’t be here long.” Joel murmured, waving dismissively.

“Now that hurts Joel, that does truly hurt. I thought we had a good thing going here.” Leo chortled in the face of Joel as Joel wasn’t impressed. After his nightmare, he and Leo were far from having a good thing going.

“So… about the grey wolf, what’s with that? Did you rescue him or something?” Spike asked Fluttershy, the topic intriguing him.

“No… he found us, we took him in and the rest is history.” Fluttershy said vaguely. “Just like every other animal, he just wanted a home.”

“His pack must have died out if that’s the case, he must be a lone wolf.” Spike chimed in. Spike then turned to Joel. “What’s your relation with the wolf anyway, Joel? It looked like you knew him very well.” Spike asked, making everyone turn to Joel. Joel was conflicted in a way, the way Joel knows Fang is a story he shouldn’t tell. It’s a story that defines him in this world, how he was raised up in his second chance at growth will only attract mixed results of how everyone looks at him. It wasn’t something he had a choice in but, he was happy it happened. The streaks he bore with are something he is proud of. But, if he was ever found out, equestrians and even humans will label him an outcast among outcasts. He’ll keep this hidden until he is caught or, he was ready to tell everyone his story of how things came to be.

“What’s got you smiling like that?” Spike asked, a small smile growing on his own face. Why? is he smiling? Joel touched his face and felt the banana-shaped smile. So he was…

“It’s nothing. Anyway, Spike left you some dinner in the oven. Do you want some now or…” Joel suddenly said as he hopped up from the couch.

“Uh, yes please.” Fluttershy said, her stomach rumbling as she blushed. Joel chuckled at her embarrassment as he reached his hand out. “Come on then, let’s get you to the dining room.”

2

Dear Diary.

After Everything That Has Happened, After Everything That I Have Faced, Am I Redeemable? The Horrors Of War, The Savage Within That Takes Over, Does It Excuse The Fact I Killed A Man In Cold Blood? I Can’t Sleep, You Know. I See The Faces Of The People I Killed And My Brothers I Tried To Save. We Were Just On Recon; Where Did It All Go Wrong? Looking Back, I Can Remember How It Affected Me.

I Was Terrified All The Time. I Had A Knife Next To Me When I Slept And It Was Scaring My Misses, She Tells Me I Need Help But, How Can You Help A Broken Man That Is Far From Saving? We Argued All Night.

I Remember When I Went The Retail, Just Picking Up A Few Odd Bits From The Stores. It Was Going Well, Nothing Was Triggering My Post Traumatic Disorder But, I Felt Like I Was Dreaming. It Was Too Peaceful As People Walked Through And From Stores, People Who Bumped Into Friends Stopped And Chatted, And Toddlers Were In The Trolley, Playing With The Products That Were Selected. It Was Too Peaceful And Friendly; I Was Expecting Something To Happen. I Didn’t Feel Like I Fitted In Anymore, These People Are Just Like Me But, I Felt I Was Something Worse. A Killer Under Casual Clothing.

My Girlfriend Was The Only Person I Can Talk To About This Stuff At The Time, My Friends And Family Had Passed Away Or Has Forgotten All About Me. I Knew She Was Getting Fed Up With Me, She’s Trying To Hide It But, Her Slump Shoulders And Her Baggy Eyes Says It All. She Didn’t Love Me Anymore, I Was Just Wasting Her Time Ever Since I Came Back From The Dead.

I’m Still At War In My Head, I Feel Like We Are Still On That Hill As We’re Hunted Like Animals. A Part Of Me Is Still On That Hill, I Did Die That Day, All That’s Left Of Me Is The Hollow Shell That I Once Was, Playing On Repeat As I Trudge Along My New Home Called The Everfree Forest…

That’s Where I’ve Been Staying Ever Since I Died, Don’t Ask Me How I Got There, I Was Just… There. I Was Weak In The Everfree Forest, Surrounded By Beasts That Were Born To Kill, Just Like Me. I Was Saved By People I Didn’t Know Existed In This Mighty Forest, Zebras. They Took Me In, Cared For Me And Raised Up A Broken Soul Like Me. It Took Time But, In This Everfree Forest That Is All About Survival, I Felt Like I Was Fitting In.

That Leads Me To Today, My New Family Has Trained My Skills Well. Today Is The Day I Am No Longer An Outsider In This Tribe, Today, I’ll Earn My Stripes.

Wish Me Luck.

If You Are Reading This, I'm Already Dead.

Sunset: Rainbow, where are you? You just got off without us.😑

Pinkie: girls, the Moon chocolate bar has gone up by 20 cents. I’m fucking FUMING!!!!🤬🤬

Rarity: Wait… Where are you?🤨

Pinkie: Behind you.😁

Sunset: HELLLLLLLLLLLO!!!!!! Dashie!!!!!!!!😡

Flash: Hey-o!!! What are you girls doing tonight?😏

Sunset: We are not going out drinking again!😐

Cheese: BOOOOOO!😂

Feather: Come on, last night was fun!🥳

Twilight: has anyone seen Fluttershy?😫

Caramel: Nope!😕

Soarin: Nah.😒

Feather: No.

Applejack: Has anyone checked her house yet?🙄

Flash:

Pinkie: Hehe😂

Cheese: Nice, I see I’ve trained you well in the art of memes.😂

Dash: Hey, I’ve talked with Shy.

Rarity: What did she say? Did she tell you who did it?☹️

Dash: No, she didn’t tell me. She told me to just let it go, she’s giving whoever did it a second chance.

Sunset: EHATTTTTTT!!!!😡😡

Sunset: What*

Caramel: what’s going on?🤨

Pinkie: typical, Fluttershy.😓

Sunset: She can give him a second chance but I’m not!😡

Twilight: Fluttershy was attacked last night by someone, she came into school with a massive bruise across her face.😔

Flash: Fucking hell, who would have done that to Fluttershy?🤔

Feather: Bet it was that fucking human.😡

Soarin: Has to be that human.😒

Pinkie: Fluttershy said it wasn’t the human.😕

Dash: Fluttershy did say it was a ‘he’ and he was drunk that night.

Twilight: Wait… whoever did it was drunk? Who went out to the Nightdale Night Club last night?😯

Flash: Me, Sunset, Pinkie, Cheese and Feather but, Feather Bang did go missing at one point.😶

Dash: Where did you go, Feather?😠

Soarin: He came around mine to smoke some weed.🪴

Feather: Yeah, I went to Soarin’s to get stoned.🙄

Feather: Do you all really think I would hit my girlfriend? I would never hit Fluttershy!😡

Sunset: Except for me and the girls, you're the only other person who knows where Fluttershy lives. It could only be you!😡

Feather: Anyone could have followed her home, it could have been some stranger. Hell, it could have been one of them traffickers.🙄

Dash: You better be right, Feather Bang.😡

Feather: You know what… Fuck this! I don’t need this shit right now.🖕

[Feather offline]

Soarin: You shouldn’t be pointing fingers at Feather Bang like that, he’s literally done nothing wrong.😒

Dash: Butt out, Soarin!

Soarin: How about you blow me!🍆

Twilight: GUYS! We can’t be arguing like this.😫

Applejack: Twilight is right, we have to be together in this if we ever want to find out who the bastard was.😕

Flash: Yeah! We’ll find the culprit!😆

Pinkie: Leave it to Detective Pinkie to lead the charge!😁

Applejack: I’ll see if Feather Bang was lying tomorrow, can’t exactly use my ability over the phone.😔

Dash: Good idea, in the meantime, I’m going to watch Fluttershy from afar tonight. I want to see if anything happens.😐

Rarity: Are you sure that's a good idea?🙁

Sunset: I’ll come too. Can’t be too careful.

Dash: Okay, I’ll let you all know what I see. Right now though, I’m going to Pony Joe’s, I’m hungry. Bye!

[Dash offline]

Sunset: Don’t worry, girls. Me and Dash will be safe.😏

[Sunset offline]

Once Fluttershy was finished with her meal, Joel had a small chat with her in the dining room. They continued their talk about Fluttershy volunteering for animal control, turns out most of the animals in her home were rescued from the wild. Some left to go back to Whitetail Forest, some went back to the Everfree Forest and most stayed with Fluttershy. Turns out, she loves animals ever since she was young. That love soon turned to responsibility, feeding them and caring for them every single day.

As for the yoga classes, Fluttershy has been going to these classes at the weekends, a regular at the Sandy Shore Fitness program. Fluttershy asked him to join the classes, never has he ever told someone to fuck off faster in his life. With that being said, Fluttershy did get offended by his words as she pouted adorably. In the end, he said he would think about it, in other words, fuck off, Joel couldn’t see himself on a mat doing all mad moves just to get flexible. Joel didn’t need to be flexible, he needed to get stronger. He must admit though, yoga has done well for her body. Joel still thinks her tits are fake, there’s just no way. Fluttershy didn’t appreciate it that much when he brought that up.

“So… what’s the deal with that grey pegasus?” Fluttershy asked, starting another conversation while twirling the fork on the empty plate. “She's the lunch lady at our school, what's she doing here?”

“She’s a part-time house cleaner, she wanted to make a bit of extra money, so I hired her. She’s thinking about quitting being a lunch lady and working in my house full-time, she says it’s not worth the abuse she takes so, she’s staying here for the time being.” Joel shrugged, reaching into his pocket and pulling out a packet of ciggies and a lighter. He offered her one which she took without a word.

“I see, how long has she been living here?” Fluttershy asked, resting the ciggy in between her lips.

“A few weeks now, I don’t pay amazingly but, she’s happy. Why?” Joel said, lighting the tip of his stick and passing the lighter over to Fluttershy.

“Nothing really, I just thought she was something more to you.” Fluttershy said vaguely, lighting the tip of her own stick as she took a long pull. Joel grinned with a snigger.

“What makes you say that?”

Fluttershy looked at him with a sullen look. “She's wearing nothing but a hoodie and her underwear, doesn’t that ring some alarm bells?”

“Not really, all I see is an employee getting comfortable in her surroundings. As long as she’s happy and does as she told, she’ll get her pay.” Joel murmured, shutting her claims down immediately. Fluttershy squinted her eyes, not really convinced. Joel noticed that look. “Why? Do you have a problem with Ditzy Doo?” Joel asked, not happy about the scepticism she’s giving off.

“Oh no, of course not. I-I just think she has a thing for you.” Fluttershy sputtered, glancing away from his daring eyes. Joel smirked at that answer. Ditzy… into him?
She must be having a laugh…

“No, don’t be daft. That would be the worst matchup ever. I mean… she’s an equestrian and I’m a human for fuck sake. I can’t see it.” Joel shuck his head, taking a deep, long pull on the ciggy.

“What do you mean by that? Equestrians and humans can form a bond that can go beyond friendship… you just don’t see it because the world doesn’t want to see it.” Fluttershy said sadly, slouching in her chair as that reality was hard to process. “But… your happiness matters too, you know. You can’t keep living feeling like humans and equestrians can’t get along. I mean, look at me and you, we’re friends… right?”

“You misunderstood what I meant, I’m not saying equestrians and humans can’t get along, if Ditzy Doo walked into this room right now and asked me if I wanted to go on a date, I wouldn’t be opposed to it but, once Canterlot sees an equestrian holding hands with a human, equestrians with eat up Ditzy, chew her up and spit her out. Equestrians are ruthless like that.” Joel explained, making Fluttershy frown deepen.

“So… you would go on a date with her?” Fluttershy said glumly.

“No… Don’t get me wrong, she’s a lovely-looking girl with a brilliant personality but, sometimes you ignore what your heart wants for the greater good.” Joel huffed, playing with his ciggy as he twirled it around. Fluttershy shuck her head at that. That pissed her right off.

“What if she said she didn’t care what others thought or said, what if her heart needs you? What if she said she loved you? What if she walked up to you and kissed you? Would you still ignore her?” Fluttershy said in a fit, angrily waving her arms.

“Yes…” That answer killed Fluttershy’s anger and she just stared at him with shock. “Yes I would, you know why? because Ditzy has a beautiful daughter, I would tell Ditzy to fuck off and think how a relationship with me would affect that bright little girl’s future. I don’t like it, Fluttershy but, that’s how things work.” Joel mumbled.

“That’s not fair… that’s fucked up!” Fluttershy said dejectedly.
She wasn’t talking about Ditzy…

“Welcome to fucking Canterlot.”

In the other room, Spike and Leo sat in the living room as they switched the channel back on The Damnation Podcast. While they listened in, they both started small talk once in a while as Leo was interested in Spike.

“—a sketchy drug called The Poppy. It’s a substance that has caught the attention of Manehattan, Fillydelphia and Canterlot gang’s eye. There’s a drug war over this stuff as gangs are going at it just to get a gram of this stuff in Manehattan. It’s very, very addicting and I can’t stress enough how dangerous this stuff is. If you bump into this stuff, please report it to the authorities, this stuff isn’t worth your life.” Said a pleading Thunder, looking into the camera with a firm look.

“Some bad stuff that drug, heard some stories about druggies dying simultaneously hours after taking The Poppy. It’s a complete mystery why it happened, he seemed fine, and his health was pure. His heart just… Stopped without explanation.” Leo murmured, taking a puff of his cigarette.

“No explanation? There’s always an explanation. You can’t just die for no reason, that’s just nonsensical.” Spike scoffed; his arms crossed as he listened to the TV.

“Ah, your one of them then,” Leo said with a winning smile. “You’re the type of guy to face stuff at face value and try and find the truth of the matter. You don’t believe in coincidences or good and bad people and so on. To you, it’s just grey, no black or white in this world.” Leo said inquisitively, making Spike turn to him.

“The fuck you on about?” Spike said in utter confusion. Leo chuckled at his face.

“In due time, you’ll understand, kiddo. If you keep following Frank, you’ll find out sooner than expected.”

“You say that like you know how I’ll turn out. I’m a drake, not an equestrian. I’m different.” Spike challenged.

“Ah, that’s right, you are a drake… I don’t think that makes a difference however, dragons stand by their beliefs but are easily swayed by their emotions. Maybe you are right, maybe you are different from your own kind, only time will tell, and you have a lot of time on your hands.” Leo shrugged, looking back at the TV.

“What about you?” Spike asked.

“What about me?” Leo replied, taking a puff.

“What are you?”

Leo smiled at that and turned to Spike. “What am I? I’m a lady’s boy.” Leo said simply, making Spike slowly grin at Leo.

“A fucking lady’s boy.” Spike cracked up, making Leo laugh too.

Upstairs was chaotic. The entire upstairs consisted of a wolf, two animated little girls and the mother of one of them. The wolf followed the girls as they went in and out of rooms, screaming and laughing as the big bad wolf tried to catch them. Ditzy looked in the mirror in one of the rooms as she looked at the hoodie she wore. She liked it, it had cotton on the inside that tickled and warmed her naked body. She smiled as she thought about keeping it, she was sure that he didn’t mind. The was a crest on the hoodie where her heart was, it was a golden bird with its magnificent wings out. It held a golden herb in its beak as it puffed out its chest with pride. The Liverbird’s crest. She chuckled as she stroked the ruff fabric. She guessed the myth was true, opposites do attract. As much as she would love to keep it on, she sighed as she took it off and threw it on the bed. Now, she just looked at herself in the mirror as all she wore as her panties. Since her bra was cut to be unusable, she hasn’t worn a bra ever since and to be honest, keeping her chest free was like breathing fresh air.

She suddenly frowned however, turning in the mirror she started to compare herself with the Element of Kindness. She was beaten in rump size, chest size and the curves she had. The only thing Ditzy beat Fluttershy in was height. She knew Fluttershy, she was the kindest out of the lot in Canterlot High School. She was also beautiful in a shy way, making herself look gentle and approachable. How could Ditzy compete with that? Ditzy sighed at the thought of Fluttershy and Joel alone… together… in a room…

*Knock, knock, knock!*

“Come in.” Ditzy called out cluelessly, her mind elsewhere as Joel stepped in, closing the door behind him. When he laid eyes on Ditzy, he was stunned for a second before putting his emotionless mask back on.

“How’s it going, Ditzy? You looked stressed when you said you were going to stay over at Applejack’s, are you worried about something?” Joel said in his monotone voice, sitting on the side of the bed as he faced downwards.

“Of course I’m worried, last time I took her anywhere she was almost taken from me. I’m scared the same thing will happen, but… this time she disappears.” Ditzy said, still checking herself out. Eventually, she just stopped and walked back until she fell backwards on the bed, her arms wide. “I’m fucking losing my mind.”

“Me and you both.” Joel muttered, holding out a ciggy and lighter to Ditzy without looking. Ditzy looked over and took them, inserting them into her lips and lighting the end of it. “So… when are you planning on leaving?” Joel said, pulling out a pistol that was tucked into the back of his jeans. He released the magazine within and checked for ammunition. Satisfied, he put it back into the Beretta.

“Soon, around 7 maybe…” Ditzy said as she inhaled the chemicals.

“That’s in an hour, you better get changed, I hope you’re not going out like that.” Joel said before standing back up, heading towards her wardrobe. Ditzy narrowed her brows. Going out like what? Only then did she feel self-conscious and realized that her chest was fully exposed. She went wide-eyed, and her face went completely red. Standing up and covering her chest, she went to scold him for not telling her but, he didn’t look like he cared. That kind of hurt Ditzy in a way.

“Don’t you care that I’m naked?” Ditzy asked, nervously letting her arms fall.

“I do care but, you won’t see me drooling like most teens these days.” Joel said, opening the wardrobe to see the only clothes she has. A hoodie and jeans.

“Why… am I not attractive?” Ditzy said with a hurt tone, her heart pounding in her chest. Joel stopped in his tracks, his hand inches away from grabbing the hangers with the clothes on. Joel tensed his jaw as he turned.

“Ditzy… when you look at me, what do you see?” Joel said plainly, turning fully around as he looked at her, unaffected by her chest as he only had eyes for her own two eyes. She was about to say that he was a broken young boy but, when she looked into his eyes, she saw maturity, discipline and self-control, he didn’t have one naughty thought on his mind. She felt like she was staring into the eyes of a purple-hearted man. He was still, he didn’t twitch, he just stood there passively. No, it wasn’t the fact that she wasn’t attractive but, it was the fact that he is mature enough not to make such a big deal out of it.

“You are very attractive Ditzy, I like your wings and I find it adorable when your eyes go off focus, I admit it. Just because your nipples are out for the world to see, doesn’t mean I’ll be a blubbering mess.” Joel said in a straight face. Joel mightn’t be a blubbering mess but, Ditzy’s heart was after his little confession. He said it from his heart, he said it with his chest, and he meant it. Not many would say half the things he said just now, even Ditzy wouldn’t go that far… but he did, and suddenly, Ditzy didn’t feel nervous, she didn’t feel the need to compare herself to beautiful women around the world because Joel found her attractive, he liked her wings, and he said that the one part of her she hated the most was adorable. She started to sniff as she walked over to Joel with a teary-eyed smile, she wrapped her arms around Joel, her body pressed against his in a cosy embrace. Never has she ever felt more beautiful in her life, and it was thanks to this boy—no, this man.
This feeling in her heart… it felt incredible…

“Thank you, Joel. You don’t understand how much that means to me.” Ditzy said with a shuddering breath, her heart hammering away out at her chest.

“Don’t mention it, although, this doesn’t mean you can walk around my house topless.” Joel said, making her giggle.

“Why? I thought I was attractive, don’t you want an attractive woman walking around your house…naked~” she whispered sensually in his ear, giggling softly.

“By all means, you can walk around my house fully naked if you want, just know that Leo isn’t shy with the ladies,” Joel whispered back, sending shivers down her spine. “For now, you need to get dressed, you're suppose to take Dinky to her sleepover soon.” Joel said, trying to wriggle himself from Ditzy's grip. Ditzy chuckled playfully as she pressed tighter.

“Ditzy, I’m not joking, let go of me.” Joel muttered, rotating his jaw with annoyance.

“Why? Is it because you want to see my tits, huh? Fine, you've convinced me.” Ditzy said, letting go of him with her arms wide with a ciggy in between her fingers, showing Joel her soft plums. Joel rolled his eyes as he turned to pick up the two hangers in the wardrobe.

“Come on, get changed, Ditzy.” Joel huffed.

“No!” Ditzy said like a stubborn child, making Joel’s eye twitch. “You're going to have to make me.”

“Fuck my life…”

Joel played ring around the fucking rosie for a minute with Ditzy. They ran around the room, jumping on and off the bed, taking a few puffs of her ciggy. In the end, it ended up with Joel straddling Ditzy as he had her arms above her head. The two panted as they looked into each others eyes, Ditzy sporting a blush.

“Now—please—get changed.” Joel huffed lightly, feeling Ditzy’s breath in his face as she panted heavily. With a satisfied sigh, Ditzy nodded.

“Okay—I’ll—I’ll get changed—but—you know—you can touch them—if you like.” Ditzy huffed, her smile rising. Joel closed his eyes in annoyance.

“If I did that, you’d get horny and that wouldn't be the best idea at the moment.” Joel said, climbing up off of her and tossing the clothes on the bed. “Get changed and come downstairs when you're ready.” Joel said, exiting the room and closing the door behind him. Ditzy didn’t move however, she felt more comfortable as she lay there, a small smile on her face and a blush of embarrassment taking over her cheeks. Ditzy was chased nude around the room, screaming and laughing like her daughter being chased by the wolf. She took a long pull of the ciggy.

Why did she do that? It was like her insecurities about her body had just vanished, feeling free and happy about herself. That feeling in her heart… It was exhilarating. Her heart is still pounding. What is this feeling of pure heaven in her chest?