Show Me Kindness, Show Me Love

Chapters

An Unexpected Visitor
Stay With Me
A Promise and a Plan
Putting it All Together
Goodbye For Now
Never Forgetting

An Unexpected Visitor

Life. Life is miserable for you. You suffer with chronic pain and fatigue as well as other illness's. You have no job and no real source of income. You're a very sick pegasus stallion who just manages to get by each day. With so much suffering in your life you have given up all of your passions and hobbies. You often wonder what your purpose in life is and how long you have left to live. You used to be extremely athletic and happy. You used to live life to the fullest and had many passions, but now everyday is the same repetitive and boring pattern. You get up, eat something, then go back to bed. With whatever energy you have left, you would sometimes be able to go for a short walk. You really can't fly anymore and opt to live on the ground in a small home on the outskirts of town. Getting out of bed is a chore on its own. You wake up and stretch your body even though your joints ache with pain. As you get out of bed to eat breakfast, you look in the mirror at yourself. You become depressed when you see your cutie mark. It has been years since you did anything that your cutie mark represented. You wish for something in your life to happen so that you could use your special talent once more. You then look over at your desk. There is a very special picture on it. The picture is of you and Fluttershy hugging and smiling after your graduation from flight school. A tear forms in your eye as you remember your very special friendship with the yellow mare. You were a few grades above her, but you were the very first pony to become friends with her after chasing off a few bullies that were picking on her. Fluttershy always stayed near you whenever she could at school. You were not only a hero to her, but also an inspiration and even though she failed at just about everything she tried to do at flight school, you gave her reason to keep trying and not drop out. You wish you could go see her again, but your illness and depression rarely allows you to leave the house. She had probably forgotten about you and moved on with her life anyway. You can only imagine that she has made new friends. You move on to the kitchen and eat the same thing that you eat every day, hay and oats. When you finish your breakfast, you go back to bed. Before you fall asleep, you can't help but think of how amazing your life had been while you were still healthy and how much you miss Fluttershy.

You are awakend by the sound of crickets chirping from outside. "Not again," you mutter to yourself. You had overslept the day and missed lunch. Not only did you sleep through lunch, you also slept through dinner. Looking at the clock, you see that it is way past dinner time and you are starving. Since it is so late, you don't really have time to prepare a meal, so you settle for the next best thing, hay and oats. Because you slept so much today you have a bit of energy left over for a walk. You walk over to the window, open it, and stick your head out. It's chilly tonight. You inhale the fresh cold air that only the late fall weather could bring. You enjoy this kind of weather even if the cold aggravates your symptoms. The pretty colors of the leaves falling to the ground and the many scents of autumn fill your nostrils with delight. You head back to the living room to get your scarf and wrap it tightly around your neck. Before you're about to leave, you remember that you have something special in your refrigerator and you realize that you are quite thirsty. You open the refrigerator door and take out a gallon of Applejack's homemade apple cider. As you begin to pour yourself a glass, you hear a frantic banging at the door. "Who could that be at this hour?" you wonder to yourself. No one has come to visit you in a very long time. As you make your way to the door, the banging becomes even louder. You open the door and a shadowy figure in the night lunges past you and runs into your house. You are nearly knocked off your hooves, but regain your balance. You look over to the corner of your house where a pony is sobbing and shaking uncontrollably. It's Fluttershy! As you approach her, she backs up her flank against the wall as if she were afraid that you'd hurt her. You realize just how terrified she is and speak as softly as you can. "Fluttershy. What's the matter with you? Are you ok?"

Fluttershy doesn't respond. She simply sits there quivering and sobbing.

You notice the cuts and marks all over her body. You also notice that her wing is hurt badly judging from how it looks. It hurts you so much to see her like this. "Fluttershy, you need to talk to me. What happened to you?" You ask as you walk over and put your hoof on her shoulder.

She lets out a loud squeak of fear.

You quickly take your hoof off her shoulder and wonder what else you can say or do to calm her down.

She finally looks up at you with tears flowing from her eyes and says, "I was attacked."

You become even more concerned as you draw closer to her and ask, "Who attacked you? Where did this happen?"

Fluttershy turns her head away from you and looks at the ground. "I did something really stupid," she says with guilt in her voice.

You sit there on the floor and lower your head closer to hers. You whisper as gently as you can into her ear, "What did you do, Fluttershy? Please tell me. I won't be mad or upset."

She wipes the tears from her eyes and says, "I ventured into the Everfree forest tonight."

"The Everfree forest?" you gasp. "Fluttershy, don't you remember all the stories we were told in school about how dangerous that place is? Especially at night time! All kinds of dangerous animals come out at night."

"I know," she replies. "I was just so curious about discovering new animal friends, ever since I got my cutie mark, that I couldn't help but explore."

"She got her cutie mark?" you think to yourself. As you look at her body, you see her cutie mark on her flank. You hadn't even noticed it since you were so concerned about all the cuts and marks on her body. You wonder what the story behind it means, but that can wait for another time. Right now comforting her is the top priority.

Fluttershy continues, "I went really far into the Everfree forest looking to discover new animal friends when these strange and fierce creatures started howling and chasing me."

You realize that those creatures must have been Timber wolves.

"The creatures chased me for awhile. One of them managed to grab hold of my tail and pulled the hair out."

You look and notice that a good chunk of her tail is missing.

"Soon I made it to a cliff and had no other choice but to try to jump across to the other side. I didn't make it. I tried to flap my wings, but they locked up from fear and I fell down. After that, the only thing I could think of was to run and see you."

A tear forms in your eye as you are overcome with emotion from the fact that Fluttershy had thought to come see you in the moment of her distress.

Fluttershy looks around the room and notices that the floor is covered with hoof prints from the dirt she tracked in. "Oh my," she says. "I'm so sorry I made such a mess in your house. I'll clean it up and leave. I'm sorry for all the trouble."

"Fluttershy, don't worry about it. I'll clean up the mess. Why don't you just relax and stay here for a while?" you say with a warm smile.

Fluttershy lets out a squeak. "You really mean that? I mean, of course I would love to stay if you wouldn't mind."

You can't help but grin from ear to ear and say, "Not at all Fluttershy. You are always welcome here. Now how about we get you cleaned up a bit? I'll get the bath water running and get you something to eat."

Fluttershy nods and goes to the tub. Once inside, she quickly relaxes and feels calmer.

While in the kitchen, you go through various cabinets looking for something for her to eat. All you can find is the same old boring thing you eat every day, hay and oats. Upon looking in the fridge you find only one thing to eat, tomato soup with basil. That is a special treat that you have saved for yourself for tomorrow's supper. You want to eat this soup so badly, but you care more for Fluttershy and sacrifice your special meal in order to feed her. You will have to eat your same old boring meal of hay and oats again, but you know this will be worth it just to give Fluttershy something special. You put the meal down on the kitchen table and pour a tall glass of apple cider for her. When she comes out of the bathroom, you can't help but notice just how beautiful she is and it makes you happy to see that she has a smile on her face.

She sits down at the table and thanks you for the meal. She eats the soup with a voracious appetite.

You sit there in shock as she inhales the contents from the bowl. You would have never figured that such a shy and timid pegasus like her would devour food like that, but then again, you can only imagine how hungry, cold, and tired she must be after her traumatic night out in the forest.

She gulps down her apple cider and smiles at you. "Thank you so much," she says. "That meal was absolutely delicious. I guess I'd better go now. I uh, just want to know if ummm, just maybe I could possibly..." Fluttershy's voice trails off as she looks at the ground.

"Would you like to stay here for the night?" you ask.

Fluttershy shoots up immediately and her big, beautiful eyes lock with yours. There's something about her eyes that gives her this filly-like innocence that seems magical. "Oh yes. That would be so wonderful if I could stay. I've had such a traumatic night and I'm just so scared to go back outside right now. You're the only pony I feel safe with."

Those words melt your heart. She feels safe around you. You feel butterflies in your stomach at the simple thought of that. You notice Fluttershy shivering and go over and close the window. You then turn back to her and ask, "How would you like to warm up by the hearth, Fluttershy?"

Fluttershy doesn't know what to say. She has never experienced such kindness before and simply nods gently in agreement. She walks over to the hearth and waits for you.

While you are outside getting some wood together for the fire, your body protests with pain and fatigue. You do your best to ignore the symptoms and carry the wood back inside.

Fluttershy watches you nervously as she hides behind a veil of her own mane.

Once the fire gets started, you sit next to the timid pegasus pony. Out of the corner of your eye, you notice that her damaged wing is shaking in pain. "Fluttershy, let me take care of that wing for you," You say to her.

Fluttershy turns her body slightly so you can't see the damaged wing and says, "Ummm, I'm ok. Really, I'm not hurting that bad." She gives you a nervous little grin.

You know that her wing needs to be taken care of so you tell her, "Fluttershy, I know you're in pain, but I won't hurt you, I promise. Please let me try to help you."

Fluttershy stares nervously at the ground and eventually turns her back to you exposing her wings. She hears you coming closer to her and squints her eyes shut. Her whole body starts shaking as if she were to anticipate the worst kind of pain imaginable.

You touch one of her wings and she lets out a yelp in pain. "Eeeeep!" You can't help but laugh and say, "Hey Fluttershy, I only touched your good wing. Please relax and trust me. I promise I won't hurt you."

Fluttershy slowly spreads her wings out and lays down on the floor.

You are no expert at massage, but you know a nice gentle massage would be good for both her wings right now as well as take away some of that stress and anxiety she has. You work your way across her wings being as gentle as you can. You notice her body tighten up at first, but then she relaxes as you rub her wings slowly and gently.

Fluttershy lets out a sigh and smiles.

"Does this feel good Fluttershy?" You ask her.

All you can hear is a soft moan from her, "Mmmm."

You smile and say to her, "We'll have to work on your wings quite a bit if you're going to want to be flying well again. I can feel that there isn't a lot of muscle strength and that you have a lot of problems going on in there."

Fluttershy does not object to your suggestion at all.

You can tell that she's enjoying this sepcial treatment quite a bit. After you do your best, to work out all of the kinks and knots in her wings, you get back up and move closer to the fire.

She also gets up and sits right next to you.

You both stare into the fire for a while. It's a bit awkward between the both of you just sitting there with nothing being said. All you can hear is the pop-pop sounds of the fire burning. Finally, you remember to ask her how she got her cutie mark.

Fluttershy tells you the whole story about how she fell from the clouds from the pegasus race and was caught by a bunch of butterflies. She explains to you about the explosion and the rainbow in the sky and how she found that she could communicate with the animals. Well, most of the animals that is. She doesn't yet know how to deal with some of the fierce creatures of the Everfree forest, but perhaps someday she will further her communication skills and will be able to talk to all the animals no matter how big or dangerous they are. When she finishes her story, Fluttershy leans in closer to you like she wants to whisper something in your ear, or even better, maybe she wants to kiss you.

You both close your eyes as she leans in even closer. You've anticipated this moment so much and it is finally going to become a reality. You are going to get your first kiss! You can feel her breath against your neck, then suddenly you hear a soft sounding, "A-choo."

Fluttershy accidently sneezes in your face. She quickly backs away and says, "Oh, I'm so sorry. I didn't mean to do that. I uh, just happen to want to ummm...." Fluttershy can't manage to finish her sentence. She's blushing and embarrassed.

You take your front leg and wipe the sneeze droplets off your face. You give a weak smile in return and say, "It's okay, Fluttershy. It looks like the fire is about to die out. Let me go see if I have any more wood in the back." You get up and leave Fluttershy there for a moment. Outside the house, you buck the air in frustration. You were so close to getting a kiss from the mare of your dreams. You look around for a bit, and to your disappointment, there is no more wood to keep the fire going. Feeling defeated you now go back inside the house. You are surprised to see Fluttershy curled up in a ball laying next to the hearth. You can see the orange glow in the hearth from a dying-down fire. Poor Fluttershy. She must have fallen asleep while waiting for you to come back. You can't let her sleep on the hard floor though. You gently nuzzle her to wake her up and say, "It's getting really late Fluttershy, and it's too cold for you to sleep on the floor here. You can sleep in my room."

Fluttershy stares into your eyes again and says, "Oh that's so nice of you, but where are you going to sleep?"

"I'll just sleep down here on the couch. It's not a big deal to me," You tell her. "Come on, let's get you tucked into bed." You lead her past the hearth and begin to head up the stairs when you hear a faint squeak behind you. You turn around and see the yellow mare sitting back down with her head looking away. Confused, you ask her what's wrong.

She doesn't make any eye contact with you. She simply stares at the floor and says, "I can't go upstairs. I'm too afraid."

You scratch your head with your hoof and ask her why she is so scared.

Fluttershy looks up at you with tears in her eyes and says, "A long time ago, when you graduated from flight school, I was left alone with no one to protect me. Eventually, the other colts that used to bully me, realized that you were gone and started to tease me again. They would sneak up behind me with storm clouds and bucked them to make the lightning come out. It always scared me and I fell down the stairs many times. They laughed at how I had to use the special cloud stairwell for disabled pegasus ponies. I needed to use that stairwell because I was so scared of flying and I was a very weak flier at the time. One day while I was about to go down the stairs to my next class, that same group of colts came from behind me and laughed at me. They teased me, but I did my best to ignore them. They tried to use that lightning scare tactic on me, but I was prepared this time and I didn't fall down the stairs. One of them came up to me and bucked me very hard on my right wing. I fell down the stairs and I could hear them mocking me from a distance. My wing was injured and I was in so much pain. I ran to the nurse and sure enough, my wing was broken. It also turned out that my wing was damaged in such a way that I wouldn't be able to fly as strong or as well as I used to and I wasn't a very good flier to begin with. Ever since that day, I had become afraid of stairs."

Hearing that story breaks your heart. You remember what those bullies looked like, but you can't remember their names. You're hurt, angry, and sad, all at the same time. You know that Fluttershy is a very sensitive pony that can easily be broken. You put your front leg around her neck and whisper in her ear, "It's ok, Fluttershy. That won't happen here. I know that you are scared right now, but you need to trust me. Here, I'll go up the stairs with you."

Fluttershy looks up at you with loving eyes and says, "Just please promise me that you won't let go of me. I don't want to fall."

You keep your front leg around her neck and pull her into your chest as you say to her, "I won't let you go." Together, you stand before the stairs. You put one hoof on the stairs and motion for her to do the same.

She slowly puts her hoof on the same step, then squeaks out in fear as she quickly pulls it back like she has just split her hoof in half.

"Don't be afraid Fluttershy," you reassure her. "Just take one step at a time. You can do this."

Fluttershy nodded weakly and closed her eyes. She put her hoof back on the step and kept it there.

"Good now just take another step, slowly."

She does just that and soon you are both half way up the stairs.

"Now just don't look back down, we're almost there."

Fluttershy instinctively looks back down and lets out an "Eeeeep!" She freezes in place and closes her eyes. She's unwilling to move. There is no reasoning with her, she simply will not budge.

You crouch down low to the stairs and tell her to hop up onto your back.

Surprisingly, she does it. She wraps her front legs around your neck and burrows her head in your mane.

You climb the stairs slowly and crouch back down to the floor when you reach the top. You gently wiggle your body and say, "Fluttershy it's ok now, we made it. You can get off my back now."

Fluttershy opens one eye to peek around to make sure it is safe and slowly lets go of you.

You open the door to your room and gesture for her to enter.

She enters with caution and climbs into the bed.

You pull the quilt over her and tuck her in.

She smiles warmly at you and thanks you.

Before you turn to leave, you can't help but bend down and kiss her on top of her head.

She blushes a little bit, but is grinning. She lifts her head up and gives you a quick peck on the cheek. "Good night and thank you so much for letting me stay here," She says.

You wish her a good night as well and turn to leave. Before turning off the light you see that she has already drifted off to sleep. You smile as you watch her sleep so peacefully for a moment and then leave. You plop down on the couch exhausted and in pain. Today was stressful for you. Nothing ever happens around where you live and taking in all of this in one night, leaves you more tired than you expected. You quickly nod off to sleep in no time.

Stay With Me

Crash, boom, bang!

Fluttershy shoots up out of bed in fear. She hears the pitter patter of rain drops on the roof.

There is a big storm coming.

She doesn't like that, but can deal with it. She then hears something much more terrifying.

It is an eerie and familiar howl that she had heard before in the Everfree forest. It must be those horrible creatures that tried to eat her.

She races out of the room and runs over to the stairs. She paces back and forth wondering if she should risk trying to go downstairs in the dark. She manages to get her front legs down on the first step then freezes in fear. She can't go any further. She lets out a squeak and calls your name.

There's no answer. You are sound asleep.

She calls louder and louder, but nothing wakes you up. Fluttershy then notices a box full of tools nearby and bucks it down the stairs.

The loud clamoring of tools inside the box wakes you up instantly. You get off the couch and head over to the stairs. You flick the light switch on and find Fluttershy crying and shaking at the top of the stairs. You quickly run up the stairs and put your hoof on her shoulder. "What happened, Fluttershy?"

She looks away from you and says, "I'm so sorry. I hope I didn't frighten you. I was just so scared and I kept calling your name, but you wouldn't answer. I heard those scary creatures howling outside again and I was afraid that they had found me and would somehow get me. I knocked down your box of tools in an attempt to get your attention. I hope you're not mad at me. I just need you to be beside me right now." Fluttershy then leans her head into your side.

Your heart melts in your chest. She made all that noise in an attempt to get you to come and comfort her. You walk her back to your room and the two of you talk for a while.

She feels safe and comfortable with you in the room and eventually hops back into the bed.

You tell her that the doors are all locked and that no Timber wolves would be able to get her.

Before you are about to leave, she speaks up again, "Would you mind if uh, maybe you would..." Her voice trails off again and all you can hear is mumbling.

"Would you like me to stay here with you for the night?" you ask her.

Fluttershy warmly smiles at you with her eyes closed and nods yes.

You turn out the lights and lay down on the floor right beside the bed. You can hear the faint cries of the Timber wolves in the distance. BANG! A loud crack of thunder makes you jump a little bit. You suddenly feel a poke at your side. You look up and see her looking down at you. You flick the light switch on and look at her.

"Umm, excuse me. I didn't mean to bother you, but maybe you could perhaps come here and..."

before her voice begins to trail off you finish her sentence, "Sleep with you in the bed tonight?" Fluttershy nods innocently. Her eyes look as if she is about to cry again.

The bed you have isn't really big enough for two ponies, but somehow you manage to squeeze in and find enough room.

"Goodnight Fluttershy," you say to her as you flick the light switch off. You are about to drift off to sleep when you feel another poke at your side. You turn to see Fluttershy next to you shaking.

"I'm so sorry to bother you again." She says. "I'm uh, really freezing, even with this quilt on and I still don't feel very safe. Could you please um..." Fluttershy started to fumble for words.

You know what she is going to ask you next. You sit up against the wall of your room and tell her to come in closer to you.

She does, and looks up at you with innocent eyes.

You wrap your front leg around her neck and draw her near to you.

She throws her front legs around your body and burrows her head deep into your chest. She nuzzles you gently and lets out a soft sigh.

You take the covers and pull them over her. The quilt isn't really big enough for the both of you, so you decide to let her have it all instead. You run your hoof through her mane repeatedly and now you can feel her breathing against your chest becoming deeper and deeper. You sing to her a song that your mother used to sing to you when you were a little colt, "Hush now, quiet now. It's time to lay your sleepy head. Hush now, quiet now. It's time to go to bed."

Fluttershy squeezes you tighter and yawns as you sing to her.

You soon realize that you are cold, but that doesn't matter. What matters to you is that you have the mare of your dreams wrapped tightly around your body and even though you are exhausted, you don't want to fall asleep.

Fluttershy falls asleep while listening to the beating of your heart.

Nothing feels better in the world to you than to stroke her soft pink mane and listen to her deep breathing as she sleeps peacefully against your body. Eventually the sleepiness kicks in and you too fall fast asleep with her still in your hooves.

A Promise and a Plan

The next morning you wake up. You look down to see Fluttershy still sleeping with her front legs wrapped around you. You gently nuzzle her as she wakes up slowly and calmly. You can't help but grin from ear to ear at how adorable she is.

Fluttershy looks into your eyes lovingly and says, "Thank you so much for taking time to comfort me. I really appreciate it so much, but I should be going now."

"Leaving now?" you ask, as your heart sinks deeply into your chest. Every second you can spend with Fluttershy is precious and seeing her leave now would break your heart.

Fluttershy looks down and continues, "Yes, I should go now. They are probably looking for me and I need to get back."

"You mean your parents, right?" you ask her in an unsure voice.

Fluttershy looks down at the floor and begins to sob.

"Oh goodness." You think to yourself. Did you just open up a sensitive topic for her?

Fluttershy finally speaks up. "No. I need to get back to the shelter. My parents never loved me from the start and disowned me when I was born. I found out that when my mother was pregnant with me and my sibling, she went to a doctor to try to get rid of us. My sibling wasn't fortunate enough to survive, but I did survive somehow. I never really got to know my Mom or Dad and I don't think I want to after what they did. I wish I knew who my sibling was supposed to be. I don't even know if it was a colt or a filly. No one has ever wanted to adopt me. I think it's because I am very shy and not good at flying. I'm almost at the age where the shelter will be forced to kick me out and I'll have no where left to go."

Your heart is crushed by the story. You had no idea that Fluttershy had been through so much at such an early age in life. You embrace her with a hug and say, "Fluttershy, I'm so sorry I brought that up. I had no idea. You are always welcome to stay with me no matter what."

Fluttershy perked up slightly and says, "Really? Do you mean that? I would love to stay with you, but isn't your house a bit too small for the both of us to live in?"

You think about the situation for a bit. Yes, your house is probably too small for the both of you to live in, but you will somehow make room until you can find something better. Finally you say to her, "Fluttershy, you're going to call me crazy, but I really like you. As a matter of fact, I think I might be in love with you and well, I don't know if you feel the same way about me, but if you would like, I can build us a new house for us to live in together."

It takes you a few seconds to realize that you are knocked onto your back.

Fluttershy tackle hugs you and kisses you. Her soft lips connect with yours and your body locks up tightly at first, but then your whole body suddenly begins to relax as you close your eyes and enjoy the tender kiss that your new mare friend is giving you. You have never felt anything so magical before in your life.

Fluttershy eventually pulls away and cries out, "Yes, I feel the same way about you. I can't believe you would offer such a generous thing to me. I'd love to be able to live in a new house with you. Oh, and maybe we could build a house big enough to keep some of the animal friends I made."

You smile at her and reply, "Don't you worry about it. I'll make the house as big as you want." Animals really aren't your thing, but you won't mind having a few pets in the house as long as it keeps Fluttershy happy. You sigh and look back at your flank. There is a picture of a hammer and a saw. Your passion is to build things. It has been a long time since you used your talents to build anything. The most important thing to you is not to build a house, but to build a stronger relationship with Fluttershy, and if that also includes building a house, then you have every intention of doing so. There is only one problem. You are still chronically ill and exhausted. You have not even told Fluttershy how sick you are and here you are making an incredibly big promise to her. However, you will not let your problems stop you from trying.

Fluttershy breaks free from her hug and stares at you again with those lovely eyes that she has and says, "I have to go and tell the ponies looking after me at the shelter that I'm ok, but I'll be right back, as soon as I can."

You sigh in disappointment. You don't want her to leave you, but you know that she has to go for a little while. You both get off the bed and you help her down the stairs. This time she seems so much less afraid of using the stairs. You both stand outside on the front porch.

Fluttershy hugs you goodbye and turns to leave. She stops in her tracks and looks back over to you. She puts her head down and says, "Ummm, if you don't mind, before I go, could I just maybe have one more....." Fluttershy starts to mumble again, but reading her is easy for you.

You put your hoof to her chin and align her head with yours. You both close your eyes and kiss passionately.

Fluttershy wraps her front legs around your neck and pushes you back against the wall.

Suddenly, you feel her tongue attempting to push past your lips. You relax every muscle in your body as her tongue breaks through and connects with yours. It is such a strange feeling to you, but at the same time it is incredibly pleasurable to feel her soft, warm tongue against yours. You use your tongue to push hers back into her mouth and begin stroking her tongue with yours. You can feel her body quiver as she lets out a pleasurable moan. Eventually, you both break free.

She smiles warmly at you before turning to leave.

You watch her trot off into the distance and stand there in awe from what you just had experinced. You can see that there is a joyous skip with each step that she takes. For some reason your pain and fatigue isn't there anymore. Your body almost feels new again as you stand there watching her disappear in the distance.

You pace anxiously in your home waiting for Fluttershy. Your body screams for a nap, but you refuse. You go into the kitchen and drink the rest of the apple cider that you had in the fridge in order to stay awake. You are about to give up and take a nap when suddenly you hear a soft tap at the door. You race over and open it.

Fluttershy stands there smiling. "I'm sorry that I took so long," she says. "I had to thank every pony and say goodbye to all the ponies taking care of me at the shelter. I'd like you to come with me to see something." Fluttershy grabs you by the hoof and takes you outside. She leads you to a place right next to the Everfree forest. "Well, what do you think about having our new house built here?"

"Isn't this spot a bit dangerous? you ask. I mean it's right next to the Everfree forest! You can seriously get hurt out here," you say to her with a look of concern on your face.

"Oh, but this is where I made all of my animal friends, and there's so many wonderful new creatures and a beautiful river that flows right by. I haven’t seen such a place in Ponyville as beautiful as this. It's also secluded from town, so we can share our lives together in peace."

You look around at the surroundings. She is right, this place is gorgeous and the land seems perfect to build a house on. Just then, you become overwhelmed with fear and doubt. Even though you would do just about anything for your special mare, reality kicks in and the task ahead of you seems impossible for just one pony, who is very sick, to do all of this work.

Fluttershy trots over to you and nuzzles you gently. "I know you must be worrying about all of this. Let me just say that you don't have to do any of this if you don't want to. I know the ponies at the shelter will take me back if you decide not to build the house. I won't be mad."

You stomp your hoof forcefully on the ground. You look at her and say, "No. I'm going to build you a house even if it kills me. I want nothing more in life than to see you happy."

Fluttershy hugs and kisses you on the cheek. "How are we going to get started?" she asks.

You know that your father has been into carpentry and you're sure that he would be more than happy to give you the supplies you need. You already have most of the tools at home, you will just need to rent some equipment to help get this all started. You simply pat her on the head and tell her not to worry and that together, you will both find a way to somehow complete this new house.

Putting it All Together

Getting the supplies from your father isn't a big deal. He is very understanding and supportive of your decision to build a new home for you and your new mare friend. He is thrilled to see you wanting to get back your passion again and he also really likes Fluttershy too. He has his own business and is more than happy to help you out. He even got you a special deal for renting the construction vehicles that you will need.

Once you have everything together, you begin to work. Laying the foundation of the house is arduous, but you are able to do it. Carrying the heavy supplies of wood is even more strenuous. Each time you have to go back to get more supplies, your body screams at you to stop and rest, but every time your body would flare up in pain, you look over to see Fluttershy staring at you with those expressive, beautiful eyes that makes your heart burst with joy.

Fluttershy eventually realizes that you are struggling to keep up and she offers to help.

You don't really want her to get dirty or hurt while helping you, but you don't have a choice. The labor is too difficult for you to do on your own and you accept her offer.

She helps carry the supplies and stacks the wooden beams next to where you are working.

As the house progresses, you become even more sick to the point where you don't think you will be able to continue. The doctors have admonished you to never push yourself and here you are expending every possible bit of energy into this project, but it doesn't matter to you. You have the reward of sharing your home, your bed and cuddling with what is in your mind, the most lovely pony in all of Equestria each night. Whenever you get discouraged, you will think about her loving hooves wrapped around your body and how sweet and wonderful it is to hold her as you both sleep peacefully together.

As the days go by, you become weaker and weaker and you become worried that Fluttershy is starting to pick up on the fact that you might be sick. You don't want her to know. You don't want her to worry about you, but you also can't bear to finish the job. You need rest. While carrying your supply of tools, you suddenly collapse to the ground. You are in too much pain to move.

Fluttershy races over to you and sits down by your side. "Oh my, Are you going to be ok? Is there anything I can do for you?"

You pick your head up weakly and say, "I'm sorry Fluttershy, but I just can't go on with this project. I never told you this, but I'm chronically ill and shouldn't be doing this in the first place. I didn't tell you this because I didn't want you to worry about me and I was afraid that you might think differently about me. I also really wanted to impress you. I'm sorry for everything. Will you still stay with me?"

Fluttershy began to cry. "Of course I will stay with you," she says. "I wish you would have told me about this sooner. I would have never thought any differently of you whether you are sick or healthy. I love you for who you are." She bends down and kisses you. Getting a kiss from Fluttershy is the most magical and rewarding thing to you and no matter how horrible you feel, her kiss always seems to make you smile. "Now how about we go back home and you get some rest?" says Fluttershy. "I'm sure you must be hungry. Let's go home and get you a nice bowl of soup to eat. I'm sure that sounds a lot more appetizing than the usual hay and oats now doesn’t it?" Fluttershy whispers in your ear. While walking home, she keeps nuzzling you and kissing you. It is almost as if she knows that her kisses are keeping you going, despite all the pain and fatigue you are experiencing.

When you arrive home you get into the bath tub instantly. You are filthy dirty from all of that hard work. The hot water relaxes your muscles as you close your eyes and remember all the love and sweet affection that Fluttershy gives you. It brings a smile to your face.

Fluttershy calls to you. "Your meal is ready. I hope you like homemade soup and I poured you your favorite drink. Applejack's homemade apple cider."

It doesn't take you long to get out of the tub and into the kitchen. You wolf down supper.

Fluttershy giggles with glee as she watches you inhale the dinner she lovingly made you.

It amazes you at how kind she is and you think that perhaps all the love and kindness you showed her, somehow changed her behavior from a once fearful and needy pony to a loving and caring mare.

Now it is your turn to be taken care of and you somehow know that the kindness and love that you showed her, will return to you, in your favor and keep your heart strong, despite how much suffering you are experiencing. After dinner, you make your way upstairs with Fluttershy. You both struggle to fit in the same bed but you somehow manage.

She throws her front legs around your body and nestles her head in your chest.

You put your front leg around her neck and squeeze her gently. This is your most favorite time of the day. Cuddle and sleep time with Fluttershy, or as you like to call her at bed time, Flutterlove, or Cuddleshy.

The next morning you wake up a little bit later than usual. You look down and are about to wake up your loving mare when you realize that she is gone. You begin to panic and head downstairs.

There is a note posted on the door. It reads: "I got up early and went to Sugar Cube Corner to get you some muffins for breakfast. I want you to come and meet me by our soon-to-be new house."

You gulp in fear. You have talked with her already about needing a break from working. Your body still aches in pain from that day when you collapsed from working too hard, and to be fully honest with yourself, you aren't sure if you can ever work on that house again. Regardless of all the anxiety rushing through your mind, you devour breakfast and head on over to see Fluttershy.

Fluttershy sits patiently waiting for you in front of the house. Her face lights up when she sees you approaching.

You hug her tightly and say to her, "Fluttershy. I'm really afraid to work on this house again. I want to make you happy, but I don't want to risk my life and leave you."

Fluttershy smiles and says, "You don't have to worry because I have something very special to show you. Come out my friends and meet the stallion of my dreams."

Suddenly, out from the bushes, groups of all kinds of animals come forth and stand beside Fluttershy.

"I know we talked about how you can't continue to do all of this grueling work, but my animal friends here would be more than willing to help us out with the house."

A small bunny comes over and sniffs your hoof. He then rubs his head affectionately against your front leg.

You're amazed to see so many different creatures standing before Fluttershy. You are uncertain how this will all work out, but you agree to try again.

This time with the help of her animal friends, the work becomes so much easier for you. You tell Fluttershy what to say to the animals and they would go and get whatever tools or supplies that are needed for the job. All you have to do is put the pieces together. With so many animals helping you with the job, you are finished in no time and your new house is complete. It has been a success and you made it through. You are able to sell your old house and you move into your newly constructed house with Fluttershy.

Fluttershy runs over to the couch and hops on it. She pats her hoof down on the pillow and gestures for you to come lay down with her.

You join her and she cuddles up with you. Just then, a tear from your eye falls and lands on Fluttershy's nose.

Fluttershy picks her head up looking worried and says, "What's wrong? Why are you crying?"

You wipe the tears from your eyes and say, "Not long ago I wanted to die. I had no reason or purpose to live. I truly believed that I'd never get to see my biggest passion come alive again, and here I am now with a new house and the most beautiful mare of my dreams wrapped around me. I couldn't be happier than I am right now and I have so many reasons to want to live again. It's all because of you, Fluttershy."

Fluttershy's heart melts. Tears fill her eyes and she lunges toward you with a kiss. The force knocks you back against the arm of the chair.

You wrap your front legs around her back and begin to feel her body all the way from her upper back down to her flank.

Fluttershy's wings spread out in pleasure as you pull her in closer to your body.

You both romance each other for hours on the couch. Nothing can be better than this. Well, there is at least ONE thing that might be better, but you know that you have promised yourself that you would wait until you were married until you do that.

Goodbye For Now

The two of you have been sharing the new house now for a few months.

You have bought her a very expensive wedding ring and you are patiently waiting to propose to her. You figured that by now your symptoms would be getting better, but that isn't the case. You wanted to wait until you were all better and back on your hooves again, but that doesn't seem like it is going to happen anytime soon.

Fluttershy takes excellent care of you and is very understanding.

You feel bad that the two of you can't do much together. Occasionally, she sits with you by the river next to your house and the two of you watch the sunset. That's really just about how far you can walk. You don't understand why you suddenly became more ill than usual. Maybe you picked up some kind of new virus or disease when you overworked your body and you collapsed to the ground while working on the house before. You don't know, and the doctors don't have much of an answer either.

They assume you have caught some kind of new virus that they don't have any knowledge about yet and have no idea about your life expectancy.

The thought of death is scary to you when you are alone, but with Fluttershy nearby, all your fears and worries vanish. You don't want to leave now. Everything seems so absurd. You remember how you wanted to die so badly in the past, but now all of that has changed. All you want to do is live peacefully with who you hope would be your soon-to-be bride. It is truly amazing how strange life can be sometimes. You have trouble breathing and cough often. Some days you are afraid that you will suffocate. While you are in bed, struggling to breathe, Fluttershy is outside tending to her animals, you decide to write a letter to her just in case you don't make it. You put the letter under your pillow and pray that you will somehow make it through another day.

When night time settles in and it is time to sleep, the both of you hop into bed together.

Fluttershy scoots in closer to you and puts her front legs around your body like she does every night. She's just too cute. Even though the bed is big enough for her to sleep far away from you, she still chooses to fall asleep in your hooves every night.

You feel safe and comfortable, and if you were to die tonight, then at least you would die while holding her in your hooves. You run your hoof through her mane like you do every night and listen to her deep breathing as she sleeps. You have a weird feeling that this will be your last night together. You hope that this won't be the case, but you are unsure. You do your best to stay awake as much as you possibly can and enjoy watching Fluttershy sleep so peacefully. Suddenly, you are overcome by extreme fatigue and your heart starts to beat slower and slower. You realize that this isn't a normal tired feeling, but something new. Your body must be shutting down for good. The memories of your life flash back to all of the wonderful times you had while growing up and all of the great things that you did. You didn't realize that there were so many things in life that you cared about. Eventually, your mind flashes back to when you first met Fluttershy and you remember all of the things you did together. You love her so much. As your mind begins to slow down with the thoughts, you make a final wish that she will be able to find a new stallion who would love her and would take care of her. You wish that she would also be able to get over her fears and make new friends. You also hope that she will remember you and that you will get to see her in the afterlife when her time would come. That's it. You slowly take your last breath and die while still holding your precious love, Fluttershy, in your hooves.

The next morning, Fluttershy wakes up and is still nuzzled close against your body. She realizes that you feel very cold and that your body is stiff. She panics as she gently shakes you. She fears the worst. "Wake up! Oh, please wake up my love," she cries. She takes your pulse and there is nothing. You're gone. She puts her front legs around your body and sobs heavily into your chest. "Why did you have to go so soon? We didn't even get the chance to marry." Eventually, Fluttershy lets your family know what has happened.

It isn't long before the funeral is arranged. Lots of ponies show up. Fluttershy and your family stay through the entire session. Fluttershy has been offered to give a speech, but she is too traumatized and upset to do so.

Your family loves Fluttershy and offers her help any time she needs it.

When the funeral is over, there is a big feast being held for family members and friends.

Your family and Fluttershy share so many stories and memories of you. Your family really cares for your special friend and every pony does their best to try to comfort her and one another.

Fluttershy leaves the dinner get together early. She needs to be alone for a while. She had been through so much.

At home, her animal friends swarm to her and try to cheer her up, but it is no use.

She looks down at the animals and says, "I'm so sorry to inform you all, but my love is gone and he won't be coming back."

All the animals lower their heads in sorrow.

Fluttershy runs over to the bed and cries into the pillow. Just then, she notices something sticking out from under the pillow. It is a letter. She opens it up, and out falls a picture of the two of you and a beautiful gold ring attached to a delicate necklace. She reads the contents of the letter.

"My Dearest Fluttershy, I don't think I'll be able to make it through the night, but I want to tell you not to worry and to be strong. I want you to remember the love and passion that we share together, and I so desperately hope that you'll be able to get over your fears and make new friends. I hope you find another stallion who will be able to love you as much as I do. You are the sweetest, most precious mare I have ever met. My only regret is that we didn't start dating earlier. You gave me reason to want to live again and you gave me the happiest and most special moments in all my life. I'm so happy and grateful that I got to share my life with some pony as loving and sweet as you. Thank you for being my special some pony during my stay here. I'm so sorry that it was short, but being with you made my life feel complete. Thank you for taking care of me during my last days. You took away my suffering with every hug and kiss that you gave me. I bought you a ring a while ago. I wanted to propose to you, but I was waiting until I got healthier again. I guess that's not going to happen. Please have this ring and let it be a reminder of the special relationship that we share. I also left you my favorite photo of us together. I would look at it every single day when I got up in the morning. I want you to know that I am happy and satisfied with my life. I want you to live out the rest of your life in peace and happiness. Please don't dwell in sorrow or depression. If there is one thing in life I hate to see, it is seeing you hurting and suffering. I'll be waiting for you in the afterlife. I can't wait for that day when we'll be reunited again and our new bodies will be made perfect. I guess I should stop writing now. I'm kind of rambling a bit and I am exhausted. I love you now and forever. Goodbye for now."

Fluttershy cries as she looks at the ring and the photo. The photo is of you and her hugging and smiling after your graduation from flight school. She places the letter on her desk and sobs uncontrollably.

Never Forgetting

Eventually, Fluttershy is able to move on in life and carries on with her passions. She remembers in your letter how important it was to you that she move on and not be sad. She tends to the woodland creatures and even makes five new mare friends. She is very shy at first, but becomes very close with each friend. She remembers one of the ponies from the past, but never got to catch her name until now.

"Rainbow Dash." The only other pony that stood up for her when she was being bullied in flight school.

Fluttershy visits your grave often and brings a very special flower that you had used to give her. Yellow tulips. She remembers how you used to compare her to the beauty of these gorgeous flowers.

One day, her five mare friends become curious and ask her where she goes nearly every day when the sun is setting.

Fluttershy asks them to join her and they do. There at your grave, she kneels down and looks back at her friends. She clears her throat and says, "This pony that is buried here was the greatest thing to ever happen to me. Before I met him, all I knew was fear and sorrow. Before I met him, I didn't know what kindness or love was. He taught me how to love, how to care, and how to smile. I want you all to know that without him in my life, I wouldn't be the pony who I am today. He even built me a beautiful house to live in." Fluttershy turned back to the grave and began to talk to the stone. "Honey, I miss you so much, but you would be so proud of me. I have made some new friends just like you wanted me to do and I picked up my passions in life again. We all came here to visit you today. My new friends are, Rainbow Dash, Pinkie Pie, Twilight Sparkle, Rarity, and Applejack. They are such lovely friends and I think you would like them very much too. Thank you for loving me. I miss you so much." Fluttershy hugs the grave stone for a moment and then let's go. She put her hoof on where your name is engraved and begins to sweetly sing a very special song that you used to sing to her when she was scared. She sobbed softly as she sang the words, "Hush now, quiet now. It's time to lay your sleepy head. Hush now, quiet now. It's time to go to bed."

All of her friends begin to weep at the sight. They all come in for a group hug with Fluttershy in the center.

Twilight Sparkle speaks up. "I'm so sorry about your loss, Fluttershy. He sounds like a wonderful pony and it's such a shame that we never got to meet him while he was still here with us. I'm so glad that he was such an inspiration to you and that he deeply cared for and loved you."

Fluttershy wipes the tears from her eyes and smiles. She picks her head up and says, "Thank you all for being here. It means so much to me that you hear and know his story."

Pinkie Pie bounces over to Fluttershy and asks, "Oh! Can we have a party to remember and celebrate your special some pony? Can we? Can we? Can we? Huh? Huh? Huh?"

Fluttershy isn't really in the mood for a party right now, but she remembers how you wanted her to live a happy life and to be with her friends, so she nods yes with a big smile at the thought of what you had wished for.

At the party, Fluttershy shares all her memories and stories of you. She will never forget them and will continue to tell other ponies just how amazing you were. She will always love you and looks forward to the day of being with you once again and forever.

Fluttershy continues to live out her life. If it wasn't for you, she would have never have known kindness or love. She would have never been able to share what she learned from you with other ponies or make any friends. Thanks to you, your help and love, made her overcome her biggest fears in life and allows her to move on with confidence. Fluttershy has become an extremely important pony in Equestria, as she represents the element of kindness. She has saved Ponyville from all sorts of dangerous creatures and together with her friends, they wield the most powerful magic in all of Equestria. The elements of harmony. Every morning when she wakes up, she looks at that special picture of you and holds to her heart, the necklace that has her wedding ring on it. She reminds herself that your goodbye was just for now and that she will see you again when her time would come too. Fluttershy will never forget you, and she is thankful every day for you. For you were the greatest and best thing to have ever come into her life. You showed her kindness, you showed her love.

The end.