The King Of Nothing

Soon after Purple returned with his friends and they all had a small snack, the group went to the gym section of the cage, where the royal guard introduced Amon to what he was hoping would help him vent some frustration.

"And here we go," Purple proclaims, pointing at an area with a target, a series of green line carpets, and a bow next to an empty quill at the other extreme of the green carpet. The boots had safety glass walls at each side of the carpet that helped aim better.

"Archery?" Amon asks with a raised eyebrow.

"Better, Amon, let me tell you the world of enchanted archery; here, let me show you how it works." Purple takes an arrow and tenses the line. Purple's horn shone, and soon, an arrow made of white light materialized in the bow.

"In this game, the bow has a special enchantment, so when you pour magic into it, it will transform into solid light that you can use as arrows," Purple explained while pointing at the target. Amon now notices the screen on top of the target showing 350.

"In this game, you wish to reduce your current score to zero instead of getting high scores. Reaching more and you gain more points that you need to reduce." He demonstrated this by hitting a bullseye and reducing the count to 300.

"Depending on where the arrow lands, you reduce less or more points, so you need to stay vigilant to your current points to see where you want the arrow to land because you only have five shots," Purple finishes and lowers his arm before offering the bow to Amon.

"Or we can go free for all and shoot as much as you want. What do you say?"

"I see. In this game, you need to keep focus, but it is not completely necessary to hit the center all the time. It's an interesting twist on the concept. I like it." Twilight nods with a big smile.

"Yeah, one slight problem there." Amon leaned closer to whisper to Purple, which only scared him.

"You can't use…?!" Amon has to cover his mouth to prevent him from yelling.

"There is a reason I whisper it Purple!"

"Right, right, sorry."

"What is the issue here?" Bliss asks, confused at the outburst, and Amon sighs and repeats the same thing to Purple

"What do you mean you can't use magic? I saw you use it when, well…what happened with Marcus?" Twilight says in surprise

"Don't know what you saw, but that wasn't magic, Twilight; it was pure rage," Amon clarified. "At that point, I was going through emotions, and my mind was foggy. In a word, I could only think of what I would do to Marcus and… well, you don't want to know the gruesome details. That is kind of the point here, but I'm not sure I can summon whatever I did back then at will," Amon clarified.

"Still, it was a noble effort, thanks, Purple; I would simply look for another way to vent…"

"Come on, dude; you are giving up way too easy," Brick mentions before chuckling. "There is a reason even earth ponies and pegasus can use this game after all."

The earth pony takes the quill. "That is when the quill comes into play. It is also enchanted. You only pay the fee, and it will summon the ammo," Brick explained before demonstrating, putting two golden coins on the empty quill before it inside shines and then filling itself with said arrows ready to be used. "See? Easy as that"

"So… unicorns pay for free, but the rest must pay? How is that fair?" Amon asks with a raised eyebrow.

"Oh no, I did pay in advance for the equipment. The arrows are extra," Purple replies. "Everything is fair."

"So what do you say, big guy?" Bliss took the bow and pressed it against Amon's chest. "You are out of excuses now."

"Fine." Amon rolls his eyes, picks up the bow, and takes an arrow. "I'm not sure if it will work, but I might as well try it."

"Don't worry, dude, this is just the first stop. We can try all the other games, too," Brick suggests. "And if you are still angry. We could spar a little…although I suggest we avoid that last one."

"Yeah, I'm starting to see the mares starting to take glances, and well, shirts could fall," Bliss agrees in concern as she watches some mares stop to eye Amon.

"What are you looking at!? This isn't a show, move!" Bliss scares them away, and the mares quickly disperse

"Thanks," Amon signed in irritation at the same thing happening before preparing himself to practice.

At that time on donuts, Joe and the three mares were discussing among themselves as they tried to come to terms with the revelation of a lifetime. After agreeing to meet up and traverse the streets of Canterlot in silence, the mares reach the local donut shop with her usual colorful yellow floor and walls, pillars with designs of candy cane, and the usual friendly stallion that understands their mood allow them to sit on the far corner of the shop where nobody would interrupt them and they could discuss matters in peace.

"By Celestia, I feel so dirty," Rainbow claims mainly to herself as she gulps another jug of cider, consuming half of it before holding her head.

"You feel dirty, darling? At least you were the last 'target' and Marc…that thing." Rarity can't finish that sentence without shivering in disgust. "He hadn't taken you to bed yet. I slept with it!" Rarity yells, and her face turns green as she fights the urge to throw up once more.

"The worst thing is that I could have got past the tentacles," Pinkie mumbles in a low tone, her mane straight, the color on her fur going grayer, gaining the attention of the mares. "What? I'm open-minded, and I don't care about the looks. Rarity, don't lie. You could turn a hog into the latest fashion hit if you wished. I bet you could have made Marcus spectacular."

"I mean… it would have been a challenge, but I'm not backing away from them," Rarity admits after considering it a little. But how he was inside…"

"Yeah, that is what truly made him ugly." Pinkie nods, eating a box of donuts, not caring that she eats the napkins. "That is what made him so disgusting. We slept with a monster, not the crazy in bed or party fun type."

"Please don't mention it," Rainbow pleads in disgust. "That bastard was only after making his collection. I hope he rots in whatever hole the princesses put him inside," Dash exclaimed with a clenched fist.

"Me too," Rarity nods before sighing. "So what happens next? At least you get an out, Dash, but Pinkie and I… we saw and did…"

Pinkie shakes her head. "I don't mind Rarity; it was a bonding moment. But if you wish to return to being friends, I understand."

"That is not what I mean is just…darling. What we share, I would always treasure it." Rarity smiles and places her hand on top of Pinkie. "I feel the same way and would never break our friendship with either of us."

"Thank Celestia because I feel the same way," Dash mentions. We are friends no matter what, stallion or not, and that is not going to change. And hey, if anything, this was a teachable moment."

"How so, darling?"

"Now we know that no stallion would get in between us, and if we ever wanted to form a herd, it would not ruin things among us."

"Wow, Dashi, that… that is pretty wise," Pinkie admits in surprise.

"Hey! Just because I'm not an egghead or I'm on all that mushy stuff doesn't mean I'm stupid. I can be deep."

Dash comments earn a bit of a chuckle from both mares.

"Celestia is good at being able to laugh," Pinkie admits, her glow returning a little before she looks at Rarity in concern. "Would you really be okay, Rarity? What Marcus took…"

"Wow, please tell me that the son of a mule didn't take your first…" Dash exclaims in surprise and slow rage when Rarity nods.

"But before you go do anything rash, darling, I… I was the one who gave consent, as much as it disgusts me and hates me. He didn't manipulate me or force me. This was all me. And I… I will manage in time." Rarity nods, holding a cup of juice and staring at his reflection.

"Gosh, this is too much!" Dash complains, staring at the ceiling. "I need to take a break from this dating thing."

"I think I would take time for myself, too," Rarity nods. "I think we all need time for ourselves away from what happens. Don't you agree, Pinkie?"

The party mare, on her part, remains quiet.

"Pinkie?" Rarity repeats in concern.

"I need to confirm something first," Pinkie states as she stands up.

"What is it?" Dash asks in surprise, yet Pinkie shakes her head.

"I'm sorry, Dashy, but I need to do this alone. I'm thankful we all have this talk and need to process what happened to us in our own personal ways."

She leaves some bits on the table and turns around. "So sorry I have to leave so soon; I hope you all understand."

Rarity nods and smiles. "I understand, darling. This is just you being you. There is nothing to apologize for. We can chat later."

"Thanks! See you!" Pinkie says goodbye with some pep on her way to talk before leaving.

Dash remained perplexed before sighing in irritation, "Like I said, I really don't get all this mushy stuff."

"It's okay, darling; you don't need to. Just take things one step at a time, and if we ever find ourselves on the same herd, I will gladly show you the ropes," Rarity says with a small smile that helps improve the mood.

"Thanks, Rarity, for what it is worth, you did for an awesome head mare."

"Well, I really love making all my herd members feel happy and welcome." Rarity can't help but gloat a bit at the compliment as the two mares chat more calmly after all that.

Hours later, the group left the iron cage tired and refreshed after having used all the games and machines the place had to offer. Amon was somewhat relaxed, having to admit that the Purple plan worked, and even though he had a lot on his mind, he was better than how he felt in the morning.

"Okay, I'm mature enough to admit it; it was a good idea there, Purple. I feel better. I'm still angry, but I'm coping with that."

"That is all that matters, dude, taking one step at a time," Purple mentions as they reach the castle. "Anytime you feel like venting some frustration, just come to one of us, and we will take you to the cage."

"Or any other guard, for that matter." Brick mentions, "Now that we have captured the one responsible for all of this, things should be okay moving forward."

"Well, almost everything. I still have to endure the thing with mares," Amon mentions with a roll of his eyes. "But that is a whole new type of monster, and I'm glad that is not the norm with all the mares like you and Twilight."

Amon mentions as he retires Twilight and Bliss.

"Yeah… we are not that thirsty," Bliss mentions with a slight chuckle. Brick notices that and decides to walk away.

"Oh, come on, Bricky! I'm the only pony here! Please be rational!" Bliss asked as she gave chase.

"Oh, I'm going to be more than rational. I will do something about it and rock your brains out so you have your fill."

"What? Why would you… I mean, thank you!" Bliss continues to chase after her husband for entirely different reasons, leaving only Twilight and Purple.

"Well, this is as far as I go; rest well, princess."

"You too." Twilight waves goodbye before going after Amon and catching up to him.

"Thanks for giving us an opportunity, Amon," Twilight mentions with a big smile.

"Well, back when I was a human, I had the bad habit of trusting strangers quickly and acting impulsively. It gave me a lot more trouble than I would have liked but also allowed me to learn many things. When you have nothing to lose and something to gain, I at least try things.”

"That is one way to view things. I'm so happy that they paid off in the end. And speaking of giving things a try."

Amon sighs and shakes his head. "Sorry, Twilight Luna beat you to it if you were about to offer to teach me magic."

"Oh," Twilight lowered her head in disappointment.

"If it's any help, I'm thinking of quitting, though."

"Thanks, that a… What?! " Twilight needed a moment to register what Amon had just said, but once she did, she could only yell in shock, "Why would you quit your magic lessons?"

"Twilight, you saw what happened to me when I got furious. I was ready to kill, I… I have done so before; I'm dangerous. What would happen if I got frustrated again and decided to do something irrational? I don't want to hurt anyone anymore.… I don't think it would be wise to teach me magic."

"That is exactly why you should learn." Twilight doubles down, confusing Amon.

"Excuse me?"

"Amon magic is not a tool or a weapon; it is an extension of yourself, and yes, I know that you were human once, but as a pony, that is now your right; denying yourself how to use it is like chopping your hand out of fear that you would use it as a fist."

"Twilight is not that easy. I can't just… how do I explain this?" Amon asks himself while holding his head. "The human mind has pounder what it could be achieved if magic were in our grasp."

"Let me stop you right there. Do you fear it will take a dark turn? That you would abuse it? That it will be weaponized?" Twilight crossed her arms. "To all that, may I ask how you ended up in your current situation again?"

"Okay, now you're just being unfair."

"And you are being stubborn and looking for excuses, Amon; look, nobody is perfect, and it is noble wanting to keep others safe, but between you and them. You more than deserve magic. And it would help if you learned more than make your horn shine. Magic is more than that; it is a blessing and a tool. It's up to you how to use it. Refusing it may worsen things for you; things like stagnated magic can produce serious problems later."

Twilight smiles and looks outside through a window. "Neither I nor anyone else will force you if you truly decide not to learn magic. But I will say this: having nothing and deciding to have nothing are two completely different things, and there is more than one type of magic."

Twilight looks back and reverts her illusion, turning back to normal. "You were exposed to only the magic of malice; please don't close yourself at the option of learning the magic of friendship. I promise you, it will enrich your life in ways unimaginable."

Amon remains quiet before sighing, "Fucking Christ, how do you keep doing this to me. If not, Celestia is you," Amon complains and stares at the ceiling, frustrated with how Twilight manages to corner him, too.
"I… I will think about it, okay? I'm still biased on the idea of magic after everything it did to me."

"That's all I ask." Twilight smiles, satisfied at the answer, as they resume their march until they reach Amon's quarters. "If you ever want to talk, know I'm always available. Goodnight, Amon."

"Night," Amon waves goodbye and enters his room, mentally, physically, and emotionally exhausted from the day he had. He wants nothing more than to put an end to this day after responding to another call when he hears his stomach grumble.

Unfortunately for him, fate seems to have other plans, with one last surprise and one unexpected visit, which Amon only discovers after digging through the fridge for a little snack. He takes a bite of a cheese sandwich before the living room lights turn on, and Pinkie sits on the couch, wearing a thick light red night robe.

"Hi, Amon. We need to talk," Pinkie says in a neutral tone, yet any seriousness quickly evaporates when she sees Amon choking on his food from the surprise.

"Whoa, calm down, Amon! I got you." Pinkie rushed to the sink and returned a glass of water for Amon. She patted his back as he drank the contents of said glass.

"There you go, slow slips. Breathe in, breathe out," Pinkie instructed in a soft tune.

"Pink, what the hell!?" Amon finally otters in rage, staring at Pinkie.

"I know, sometimes I end up scaring ponies with my surprise appearance. It is a risk you take in the life of a party planner."

"Not that! Well, part of that… Pink, why are you in my room?!" Amon demands to ask.

"I told you I needed to talk with you." Pinkie casually reply

"At this hour? Waiting in the dark? Right now? And wearing nothing but a bathrobe?"

"In that order, yes, no, yes, it's a night robe, and I'm wearing more than that. I have my underwear on. Do you want to confirm?"

"NO!" Amon stops her before she disrobes and presses her hands firmly on the fabric before she can do anything. "Pinkie, I’m tired and not in the mood for discussion so for the sake of speed things along, if I listen to whatever you need to say, would you leave?"

The pink pony remains quiet with a sad look and nods once.

"Okay, then let's get this over with," Amon replies with a defeated sigh as he goes to the living room and sits on the couch. "What do you need to talk about?"

"Amon… do you think I'm attractive?"

"What?" Amon can only ask after a prolonged pause when he can only blink a few times.

Before Pinkie could elaborate, a knock on the door alerted the two. "Amon?" The worried voice of Fluttershy surprised both of them as Amon exchanged glances between the door and Pinkie, who asked him to remain quiet before begging him not to say she was there without speaking and putting her hands together. "Do you have a moment?"

"...yes, Fluttershy. What is it?" Amon finally replies, still eyeing Pinkie.

"Could I come in? There… there is something I want to discuss with you," Fluttershy asks somberly. Amon takes a glance at Pinkie Pie and points at his bedroom. She spells out thanks with her mouth before rushing and hiding there.

I'm hiding a half-naked mare in my room while another wants to see me in the middle of the night. When did my life turn into a soap opera?

Amon questions as he sees Pinkie closing his bedroom door. Once out of sight, Amon opened the front door to receive Fluttershy. Who, contrary to his worst fears, was back to using a thick wool yellow egg sweater and her usual long pink skirt. The pegasus in question was keeping her head low and her hands together.

"What is it, Fluttershy?"

"Sorry to bother you, but what happened to Marcus yesterday gave me a lot to think about," Fluttershy confesses as she enters the room.

"It gave all of us a lot to think about. Especially his herd… ah, ex herd, I imagine."

Fluttershy nods and goes sit on a couch. "Applejack and I were talking about it earlier. We would have invited the rest, but Twilight was with you and the rest well… as you said, the news hit them the hardest."

"I could only imagine," Amon nods as he sits across from Fluttershy. "Fluttershy, I don't want to be rude, and I'm willing to listen to whatever you need to tell me, but what exactly am I doing here? Shouldn't you knock on the princess or any of your friends' doors in this situation? I'm not sure what I can say."

"It is a bit hard to explain and requires some context, but there is a reason I wanted to speak with you specifically. And it is not only about Marcus," Fluttershy confesses in her usual low tune, which surprises Amon and Pinkie.

"Have you ever heard of the mane six hunters in all your travels?"

"I may have heard of them once or twice, but they sounded like a perverse fan club for what I managed to catch in the street."

"You could consider them like a creepy group of fans or some bizarre gold diggers," Fluttershy explained with irritation and sadness. "Before meeting Twilight, my friends and I had different levels of success when it meant courting; for Rarity, it was as easy as breathing even though she never went beyond flirting as she was saving herself for… long story, I don't want to bore you."

Fluttershy stops herself from going on a tangent before resuming: "AJ was and probably is still married to her job and family, so she never shows any interest. Dash had a long list of pretenders and one stands. I suppose you could consider her a player. Twilight was absorbed in her books and had no interest, and then there was Pinkie and me." Fluttershy finishes with a sigh as she lowers her head in shame.

"Is not that I didn't want to, of course, but well, back then, I was timid and got away from any pony interest, and for Pinkie, I'm not sure if any pony was interested in her beyond a clown to make them laugh or so innocent she didn't exactly grasp the concept so dating for us was a bit difficult."

"I suppose all that changed when Marcus entered the picture?" To Amon's ask only to be surprised, when Fluttershy shakes her head. "No, everything started changing once our name became public. I think it was around the time we saved the world from Discord. I can tell you later, it's another long story. The important thing is that we all became celebrities after that."

"Oh boy, I think I know where this is going," Amon sighs and rolls his eyes. "Allow me to guess, soon talent hunters, magazines, movie deals, and other things came your way, and they keep bugging around? I imagine, considering you are friends with a princess."

"Ah… not exactly," Fluttershy replied, slightly taken aback by his response. "Is that what usually happens in your world?"

"More or less, let's not get sidetracked, you were saying?"

"Right, well, thankfully, not much changed, but we all started to see the birth of the mane six hunters. It started humble enough with ponies in our town congratulating or thanking us for saving them and giving us gifts and the like, then the occasional thank you from strangers in other cities, and finally the arrival of the gold diggers." Fluttershy started with a happy voice, only to end on a more somber tune.

"We didn't figure it out at first, but many ponies kept thinking the wrong idea that famous equal money, so they wanted to introduce themselves as kind mares and stallions wanting to be new friends only to run from the hills the moment they knew we weren't rich, or at least I wasn't. I don't know how it went for the others."

"Yeah, I can see that happening." Amon nods and wants to help serve her and him a cup of coffee while they talk. Fluttershys holds her cup with both hands.

"AJ told me how she had to scare away a lot of stallions pretending to be farmers just to get closer to her by scaring them away with backbreaking labor that revealed how fake they were, as well as business opportunities wishing to transform their farm into something else."

Fluttershy chuckles lightly, "Never mess with the Apples, apple farm, Amon. Some of them learn that the hard way. I think one or two had to be kicked out of their property anyway. Eventually, the hype ended, and things return to normal, but the experience left me finding something I didn't realize I yearned for until Marcus arrived."

"...a boyfriend?" Amon suggested.

"A herd, I know it is corny and stereotypical, but having those that care for you, be a part of a pack, well. There is a reason that is every filly dreams."

"...right, I suppose." Amon can only nod and sip his cup, letting Fluttershy continue. "I suppose I was the next target for Marcus because soon after managing to snag Rainbow Dash, he started to try flirting with me. But in how he spoke and buttered me up, I felt his praises were empty and no different than other pretenders. Who knew? I was right all along, yet I was jealous."

Fluttershy finally admits, putting her cup down. “Of Marcus?” Amon ask only for Fluttershy to shake her head

"Of you, I didn't understand why or how, but when you kissed Pinkie, everything just clicked."

"Okay, I think you lost me there for a moment, Fluttershy," Amon confessed after blinking several times. "I thought we were talking about Marcus. How does that incident relate? I told you I only did that to stop her, and because I panicked, no romance was involved."

"Even if that was the case, it was real!" Fluttershy exclaimed, adding more questions for Amon, who could only stare at her as she relaxed and kept staring down. "Ever since those creeps appeared, I no longer know if any stallion I interact with is real unless they already have a herd, and even that is difficult.

Everyone is after my looks, fame, or the money I don't have. They don't care about me; they only care about Fluttershy, the element of Kindness." Fluttershy marks her point with air quotes.

"And that is why you think my kiss was different?" Amon asks, perplexed as she nods. "You don't know anything about us; you don't care about fame or fortune; you only care about surviving and nothing else. Do you know how hard it is for someone like me to find a pony like that?" Fluttershy asks on the verge of tears.

"Fluttershy I… I'm so sorry. I suppose this is one of the problems with fame, but I think you are confused. What happened back there… for heaven's sake, I'm not even a pony; I just…"

"How long has it been since you have been with a mare?" Fluttershy asks out of the blue.

"That…that is kind of personal."

"But it has been a long time, don't you? Don't you crave the company? Don't you feel lonely and cold?"

"... I'm used to the cold," Amon confessed before sighing. "If you want to know, I never even had a special lady in my world. I was pathetic and a coward, and women could detect that. I never showed any signs of interest, and because of that… to make you laugh, that kiss that meant nothing? Yeah, that was my first."

Fluttershy and Pinkie, who were listening, gasped at that confession as Amon chuckled.

"Go ahead and laugh; I'm sure I've been doing the same; we'll earn it, too. I bet this kills any mood you wanted…"

"...please kiss me," Fluttershy asks out of the blue.

"What?"

"I know what I say, but please! Just one, I… Marcus stole more than your body. He stole what should have been your new life; all his lies were what you went through but worse. I know I've been irrational, I know I have no right, and you are in a more than vulnerable state… but I don't want to feel this cold, and I bet neither do you… So, I want to confirm this just for tonight. I want to feel that this is something real, please… please… don't pity me. I only want one…"

Feeling on the spot and more than sorry for what Fluttershy was saying, Amon with a mix of fear, surprise, empathy and a little bit of lust and curiosity, stood up, grabbed Fluttershy shoulders, and planted one intense kiss on the lips, catching her off guard, wanting to see if that could calm her down and respond a new question forming on his head.

Pinkie opened the room door slightly in interest, and when she saw that, she gasped and smiled in contentment. She saw her friend's wings stretch out in pure shock, and then her wings rattled and puffed out as her body went limp.

Oh yeah, that is the stuff!

Pinkie can't help but chuckle.

If that was his first kiss, by Celestia Amon, are you a natural?

With a gulp of excitement, Pinkie closed the door and let those two have their moment. Fluttershy slowly melted away in the kiss, and her eyes were about to roll back, only to be interrupted when Amon broke the kiss, leaving her wanting.

"There, happy?" Amon asked with a blush and a conflicted look on his face.

What the hell is wrong with me?! I just assaulted her? Why did I do it…why do I want to do it again?

"I almost was," Fluttershy mumbles before smiling, taking Amon away from his thoughts. "And I was right. It IS real."

"I…no. No, Fluttershy, it is not. This is… I don't know what it is, lust, maybe? But you don't know me, and I don't know you. And this…" He points at him and her, "This is not healthy; we are using each other, me because I was alone and never had the experience before. I…shouldn’t have given in to my impulse, and you because you finally found a stallion that didn’t place you on a pedestal. Starting anything from that, it would be for the wrong reasons."

That doesn't stop the mare as she approaches him. "And what would be the right reasons?" Something about how Fluttershy spoke up slowly and slightly sultry, how she started to move, and how her eyes were turning was enough to send shivers down Amon's back, and his pants got tight as he stepped back.
Even when her clothes were modest, Amon started noticing more of her feminine features, which only made him more nervous than when Pinkie offered to strip in front of him.

"A… a date, getting to know each other, start as friends, spend time just hanging around. Lots of steps before jumping to this," Amon quickly numbers, making Fluttershy giggle as she keeps approaching.

Once Amon was against the wall, Fluttershy stopped. "You know what? You are right." She nodded in agreement with a bright smile before giving him a soft hug. "I, too, wish for something meaningful and everlasting. I want to know more about you; I want something real."

She nuzzles his chest. "But I'm not a slave to my emotions or will be a player that listens to her vagina."
Amon stiffened about the shy pony using dirty language before breaking the hug "We both need to do a lot of soul searching and see if we are meant for one another. The last thing I want is to make you feel uncomfortable."

"Right," Amon replied, having calmed down as it seemed Fluttershy wasn't planning something else.

"That being said, I want to start right and ask you properly. Amon, would you like to have coffee with me sometime?"

"I…" Amon paused, thinking about his options. Part of him wanted to reject her invitation and put a stop to what she wanted or, worse, give her hope and then ruin it after everything she confessed. Yet, the other part felt a sense of curiosity he had never felt before that was slowly winning him over.

"...I have a lot on my mind, Fluttershy. Seriously, I don't even know how to feel right now. I don't want to give you hope. If there is nothing there, can I only give you this thought"

He put his hand over her shoulder. "I would love to have coffee with my real friends and talk to them about my feelings later. Would that be okay with you?"

"Yes, yes, it would." Fluttershy seemed happy and gave Amon another hug, this one even more robust and tighter, making the stallion feel two giant orbs on his chest. This did not help the situation on his pants, so he had to move his hips slightly to the right. "Thank you so much for showing me something real, Amon. Seriously, you have no idea how much I craved it."

"A…anytime, buddy. So Fluttershy, not to be rude, but your chest is kind of ah…"

"Oh my goodness!" Fluttershy realized what she was doing and broke the hug taking a couple of steps back and looking away with an intense blush. "Y…yeah, sorry about that,"

"Don't be, I… ah, I should be, thank you?" Amon, equally embarrassed, looks at the ceiling and throws Fluttershy a bone. He didn't know what the hell was happening to him; lots of other mares had tried to throw themselves at him, some even bolder with more indecent outfits, yet for some reason, this shy pegasus with a modest get-up was making him act like a teenager all over again.

Fluttershy smiled and giggled, still with some color on her cheeks. "Thank you, that is very considerate of you, buddy. I think I should be going; it's pretty late anyway."

"Yeah, I need to… that." Amon can't find an excuse, remembering how he still had to deal with whatever Pinkie wanted to say. Fluttershy nods, and the two go to the front door.

"We can talk more tomorrow, oh, and Amon. Thank you so much for showing me something real and warm. I will not forget it."

"It was only a kiss, Fluttershy. It's not like I rocked your world or anything." Amon dismissed the praise with a roll of his eyes.

"You shouldn't sell yourself short, even if a little harsh and sloppy at first; it felt nice, very nice, in fact," Fluttershy insists with a smile before waving. "Night… buddy."

"Night," Amon waved goodbye before closing the door and promptly leaned against it to let go of a long breath.

"God, this day," he says, bringing his hand to his head. "So I imagine you heard all of that?" Amon asks Pinkie as she exits the door. Even if he cannot see her with his hand over his eyes, Amon can feel her looking back at him.

"I did, and wow, you go Fluttershy! I never thought she had it, but I'm sure happy for her."

Removing his hand, Amon could see Pinkie smirking at him. "And you should be proud of yourself, you big player."

"Excuse me?"

"I saw Amon; that was quite the kiss. Fluttershy may sell it short, but her wings and feet were jellies under your touch. You are a natural. She really rock her to the core with one kiss"

Amon sighed and let go of the door. "I'm too tired to explain why I can't take the compliment and tell you that you only lack something real." He stopped in front of Pinkie Pie and crossed his arms. "So do I assume that most of what you wanted to tell me, Fluttershy already said it?"

"Only half," Pinkie replies with a tired sigh before pointing at his bedroom. Can we talk? I'm not planning anything I swear; I only want to explain my question and side of the story. After that, if you want, I will leave. Don't worry; I'm not asking you to kiss me or anything like that… but I will not be against it if you offer." Pinkie finishes with a slight chuckle and a big smile.

Amon just remained quiet for a moment before heading to his bedroom. "Okay, let's hear what is bothering you so I can call it a day already."

Amon replied coldly as he sat on one side of his bed.

"Right," Pinkie says, keeping her smile. She follows suit before sitting next to Amon. "I suppose since Fluttershy already told you, let me explain how things were for those hunters and me and how the last one managed to get this far with us," Pinkie mentions in a sad tone, gaining the empathy and attention of Amon.