//------------------------------// // Getting closer, maybe too close // Story: Why was I so lucky? // by Artyom the Brony //------------------------------// I ignored the comment, to terrified and confused to talk, especially since we spoke the same language. I could move sure, but talking was out of the option. I walked around her and down what seemed like a town. She and a few other mares followed me. A mint green unicorn, the rainbow pegasus hovered but kept my pace, a purple unicorn, and an orange normal pony with a cowboy hat on. I pretended they weren’t there and walked. I just walked as the sun set on, actually where the hell was I? I turned around and saw that all of them were still following me. “Hey umm… Where am I, exactly,” I asked, afraid of the answer “You’re in Ponyville,” The purple one said “No, I mean continent,” I said, trying to hold back laughter at such a moronic and unimaginative name. From that though, I could guess they referred to themselves as ponies. “Well, this is Equestria…” “NOPE!” I yelled, cutting her off I apparently wasn’t on Earth anymore. I was quite sure there wasn’t a town named Ponyville anywhere in the world, but I fucking knew that there was no continent or something named Equestria. I was done, done with whatever this sick dream was, I was dead, and I wanted Valhalla. I had just saved my country from a group of radicals invading via portal, and I had died honorably in battle. This right here was bullshit, Whatever Odin was up to up there, I was gonna have a long chat with him once this was over with. “Wake me up!” I yelled, which wasn’t all that loud through the gas mask “I don’t want to be here anymore! This is sick!” I was fucking angry! I had died honorably in battle, with weapon in hand mind you, to save my country and this is what I get! A trippy world with multicolored ponies! “It’s not fair!” I wailed “I died and was supposed to go to Valhalla! Not some pony world! Why was I so lucky to have survived!” My anger turned to sadness and I felt tears start to form. Oh shit, well at least they cant see it through the amber lenses. Oh hell they could, one lens broke. My knees weakened and I fell to the ground. I curled up in a ball and started to cry. Stage two am I right? “Waaaaaaaahhhhh!” I sounded like a fool and the gas mask didn’t help. I sniffled and cried manly tears of being separated from his favorite teddy bear. I mean helmet, definitely helmet. After a few moments of my gas mask filling up with tears, the rainbow pegasus, who had been standing closest, walked over and gave me a hug, or as best she could do with me like this. “Hey, hey it’s alright,” she said “I don’t know who you are, or for that matter what you are. But we can help you.” Her voice was soft and comforting, and I assumed she had the goal of making me feel better. If it was then she was doing wonders because that was about the only thing I needed right now, someone, or somepony in the case, to take care of me and make me feel better. “Can we take off this mask of yours? It’s not your face is it?” her voice was amazing I shook my head and took off my helmet. I then loosened the straps of the mask and pulled it off. As I took the mask off, a small waterfall of tears fell out. I began to calm down, inhaling and exhaling more calmly and frequently. Not to the hypothermia point, but you get what I mean. When I exhaled without my mask on I saw an ever so slight ripple in the air. Like the foggy exhale on a cold day, but much more transparent. When I looked up to see the pegasus’ face, she exhaled, and there was no fog or ripple. Her smile changed from one of comfort and compassion to one of… Lust? I stretched myself out and attempted to break the hug. “Thank you, I feel much better now,” I said As I tried to break free from the hug however, she only tightened it. Burying my face into her coat, as well as most of the rest of me. “Uhh, help! Please?” I asked, unsure if this was just how they welcomed aliens or what. Suddenly the two were surround in a purple aura of light and they were pulled away. “Rainbow Dash, why are you acting like that. He obviously wanted to break the hug, so let him. You are a he right?” The purple mare asked I nodded my head and she turned her attention back to the Rainbow Dash. Who were leaning towards me with the most loving eyes I have ever seen. “What has gotten into you Rainbow Dash,” “I, I don't know, I just, don't know,” Rainbow Dash said I put my gas mask back on, along with the helmet. The ripple affect my breath had stopped, mostly. There was still a tiny bit of it coming through the broken lens. Almost impossible to see if I wasn’t looking for it. After a few second her friends’ smile shrank, and it turned to that of slight embarrassment. “Heh, sorry about that, I don’t know what came over me,” Rainbow Dash said The purple aura faded and she leaned back away from me. The sun had set now, the moon was rising, and I was feeling rather tired. I might be a soldier, but we all have needs. Like sleeping and eating and breathing… Pervert. “I don’t mean to be rude or anything, but can you think of anywhere I might be able to sleep for tonight?” I asked, hoping for a “No, you can wake up in Valhalla though.” “Well, the party at my place is supposed to go for all night,” The purple one said “My home is a cloud,” Rainbow Dash said flatly “The apple family home doesn’t have a spare bedroom, sorry,” the orange mare said said “I do think though…” The purple one continued Valhalla Valhalla Valhalla for Odin’s sake Valhalla! “Fluttershy has a spare bedroom, I can go find her. She said she was going to a restaurant earlier today, she still might be there,” DAMNIT! So close. Oh well, this place doesn’t seem to be so bad. Just because I thought that though, something terrible is going to happen now, I know it. I sat there in silence thinking about how infinitely better Valhalla would be than this. Also how I would live my life here now. After about twenty minutes of waiting, I saw the purple unicorn come back with a butter yellow pegasus, whom I assumed to be Fluttershy. “Oh he’s just so cute!” She yelled Well, it seemed like yelling, but it was rather quiet, as in my thoughts were louder than her voice quiet. I’m blocking out her sentences as we speak dumb ass, focus. I shook myself back to reality and saw she was hugging me. I had had my fill of pony hugs for the day and I was ready to retire. To bed. For sleep. Alone… Pervert. I pushed back on the hug. She didn’t fight my opinion about the hug and released me. “Twilight here tells me that you need a place to stay for the night. I can help you out with that,” She said in her quiet voice, It was rather motherly, or like I was an animal incapable of speech. I guess that’s why her name is Fluttershy. Quiet voice and whatnot. I wonder what would happen if Cobra and seal team six got paired up and FOCUS! “And if you have nightmares then you can come to me and I’ll help you,” I figured that if Cobra and seal team six did then it would be all over for the… I figured that I had missed the first part of that sentence, and that I was going to sleep at her house. Fluttershy had the widest smile imaginable. Not one of, my god I want you so bad, but one of, this is going to be so exciting! “Come on, I don’t want you to get cold out here,” Fluttershy said The other mares had apparently left a while ago, so I followed Fluttershy in high hopes of finding a bed. Then waking up in Valhalla… The same bed so I could repay her for being so nice. I followed her down dark, empty streets when I noticed her shivering slightly. I tapped the mare on the back to get her attention. I held my finger up indicating wait a second. I took off my backpack and pulled out a coat. Yes it was digicam, (or digital camouflage) but it was still very warm. I stood her on her hind legs and slid her hooves down through the sleeves, and put the jacket on fully and stood up to see her shivering had stopped. Yes she protested at first but now she looked very warm and cozy, and stylish if you asked me. Don’t, seriously I have terrible opinions. I didn’t want to speak to her yet for a few reasons, which is why I haven’t talked to her yet, even though I could. For starters, I’m a total social idiot, anything I say tends to sound stupid. At least to me it does. That and she seemed to be having a wonderful time just enjoying the moonlit walk with some company. “Thank you, for that,” She said I smiled, and even though she couldn’t see it, I could have sworn she returned the smile. We continued walking until we reached a cottage. She walked in and I ducked to get in. Once in however, the room was quite spacious and could accommodate my size easily. “Can I just set my pack here?” I asked, taking my backpack off “Eep! You… you can talk” Fluttershy said, her voice somehow even more quiet than before. “Yea, but I didn’t before because well, you seemed to enjoy the silence and I say stupid things. Actions speak louder than words right?” I said, chuckling a little “Oh well, yes, I suppose they do. Thank you, by the way.” She said “Don’t mention it. The pleasure was all mine. I can’t stand it when something so cute looks uncomfortable. Wait did I just say that…” I trailed off thinking about how I had just described her. I took off my mask and helmet just as she closed the door. I took a deep breath, enjoying a nice, proper, non-claustrophobic breath. I let out the breath as I had taking it in. Enjoying the simple pleasure, of breathing. I took off my boots and set them in a corner next my pack and, body armor, and over shirt (That’s a word right?). I now had socks, dogtags, a shirt and pants on. Time to hit the hay. Oh god now I’m making horse references. I thought Fluttershy seemed to change a little. “You can sleep in my bed tonight.” Fluttershy said “What? I thought you had a spare bedroom?” I asked, a little unsure of what was happening “Oh I do, but it’s just that It’s very small, even for me. Besides, it must be scary for you to be here in this strange new place, I can keep you safe from all the monsters.” She said this with a reassuring smile so I figured she was telling me the truth. She might actually be concerned for my mental health as well. I thought, watch me be wrong… “Ok then. I will sleep with you, platonically, ” “Yay! Follow me upstairs,” I did so and she motioned for me to get in bed. Not wasting a second more to get some rest I did so. I noticed that there was only one pillow, so I shoved it to her respective side of the bed. “Oh no you can have the pillow,” Fluttershy said, also getting into bed “I insist, You gave me a bed, which is more than I can ask for. You take the pillow,” I said “We can share!” her voice sounded full of enthusiasm at the idea. “Um, platonically… Ok,” I said, getting a little worried at how close she was getting to me. After she got comfortable, there wasn’t a single bit of that wasn’t touching me if so possible. Her wings were wrapped around me in a form of hug, her head was on my chest, and had all of her hooves hugging me as tightly as she could. In an effort to get myself more comfortable, I moved my arm from out beneath her. I stirred her and she looked up at me with the most pleading eyes you have ever seen. I would kill a puppy if she had told me to with those eyes. I replaced my arm instead of under her, around her and she seemed very happy with this new position. I went to sleep shortly there after.