//------------------------------//
// Dissecting Pokey’s Problem or Read it and Deep…Ones 
// Story: Friendship is Madness 
// by Lobstercraft 
//------------------------------//


Chapter 6: Dissecting Pokey’s Problem
or
Read it and Deep…Ones


After a couple more uneventful days at sea, Big Mac and Fluttershy returned to Ponyville only to discover their friends Pokey and Pinkie had become an item. Flutter-envy ensued.
“Gosh darn it Fluttershy!” the yellow Pegasus softly cursed. She was pacing around her cottage rather upset; well, rather upset for Fluttershy. “If only you’d be more assertive! Oh, but not TOO assertive…” She remembered the Iron Will incident. “Ohhh, Rarity gave you the perfect opportunity and you blew it!” She let out a sigh and called herself stupid.
Lying down on the floor she covered her head with her hooves. “Now Pinkie has a very special somepony and I still don’t.” 
Fluttershy remembered how supportive Rarity was when she told her she hadn’t made any progress with Big Macintosh. Still, she couldn’t help but feel she’d let the unicorn down. “She’s disappointed in me, I know it.”
It was time to step her game up. After Rarity’s effort, she had to do something! A visit to the library was in order. It would be easier to find advice in books than to ask her friends about such an embarrassing subject.
Meanwhile Pokey, Lucky, Caramel, and Noteworthy were at Sweet Apple Acres harassing Big Macintosh about his ‘date’. Big Mac was bucking apples at the time.
“So, you mean to say you spent three days on a romantic cruise at sea in the SAME room with a girl as pretty and sweet as Fluttershy and NOTHING happened?” asked Noteworthy, “and we are to believe that?” 
“Nothing happened BECAUSE she’s so sweet and innocent,” answered Caramel. “Big Mac’s a gentlecolt.”
“They’re both too shy,” said Pokey, “unlike myself, who I hear is totally alpha.”
“HA!” laughed Lucky before returning to his usual silence.
Big Mac bucked some apples.
“I think you two would be a cute couple,” said Caramel. “More of you guys need girlfriends so we can have couples’ get-togethers.”
“I’m focusing on my music,” huffed Noteworthy.
“You’re focusing on my ass,” replied Pokey.
“So do you even like this girl?” It was Lucky who thought to ask the pertinent question.
Pokey interrupted with, “She’s shy, loves nature, is cute and is a really nice pony. Why wouldn’t he like her?”
“Love is far more primal and instinctual,” said Caramel, holding up a flower. “Your heart decides who you love, not your brain! If he was in love he’d feel it!”
Big Mac hadn’t really thought about it. He was a little busy worrying about apples and monsters to fall in love. On the other hand, he had gotten along rather splendidly with Fluttershy, and he did think she was cute. Was love as instant as Caramel hinted at, or was it something you could slowly sink into as Pokey seemed to believe?
“Why would you go if you didn’t like her?” asked Noteworthy. Mac glanced over at Pokey for a second.
“The REAL question is why did Rarity ask Big Macintosh to go with her best friend on a romantic cruise?” Pokey declared a ponderance.
“Playing matchmaker,” answered Caramel.
“Or Fluttershy asked her to!” declared Noteworthy with a sense of revelation.
“Would ya’ll leave mah big brother alone.” Applejack approached with a slightly irritated tone.
“Hi Applejack,” greeted Caramel; the rest also greeted.
“I heard you teasing him before he left,” Pokey pointed out, feeling AJ was being hypocritical.
“I can tease him cause he’s mah brother and Fluttershy’s my friend. But if I hear any one a-ya sayin’ somethin’ scandalous about any one ah my pals I’m gonna have a mind ta buck ya in the face,” Applejack replied.
Suddenly Rainbow Dash flew down from the sky. “Whoa, what are all these dudes doin' here?” She’d never seen these guys at Sweet Apple Acres before.
“These are Big Macintosh’s friends,” answered AJ.
“Yo,” Dash said before turning to Applejack, “Twilight wants our help with something, you got any spare time?”
“Shoot, I’ve always got time for a friend,” she smiled.
“No you don’t,” Rainbow raised an eyebrow.
“Well, I’d like to. That’s gotta count for somethin’,” The girls walked away as the guys went on to talking about something else. 
But Big Macintosh had gotten an idea. Rainbow Dash mentioned Applejack’s friend, the librarian. It was his understanding she liked to read a lot, so perhaps she had read something about the ‘Dagon’ the old fisherpony mentioned. It was worth a shot.
Later on, when Big Macintosh arrived at the library, Twilight was surprised to see him. Whatever AJ and Dash had helped her with earlier must have been finished already, because only Rainbow was still there, and she was just reading. “Ah need to ask you something,” said Big Mac.
“This is quite a surprise,” replied Twilight with a smile, “I’d be glad to help.”
Big Mac motioned to be let inside and Twilight obliged, a little embarrassed she hadn’t offered.
“What’s on your mind?” asked Twilight.
“Have you got any books about sea monsters?” Macintosh looked around her bookshelves as he asked. Twilight giggled.
“Big Macintosh, I had no idea you were into mythology!” she bubbled with excitement.
“There was a sea monster in Daring Do and the Sycophant’s Gambit!” exclaimed Dash.
“Ah need to read about somethin’ named Dagon,” Mac explained.
“Dagon?” Twilight thought a moment, “You mean the Kraken?”
“Nope.” He shook his head.
“I don’t think I’ve ever read about a sea monster named Dagon.” Twilight scratched her chin.
“Ah think it’s some sort of god,” he clarified, “He lives in the sea with the Deep Ones ah think.”  
“Where’d you hear that?” Twilight asked.
“An old fisherpony,” he answered. “He said some folks sacrifice ponies to em’.”
“Wow,” said Twilight, “That’s pretty macabre. I would have never imagined you were into spooky stuff.”
“Sounds like a wicked story,” said Dash.
“I’m not,” he said. “And it ain’t a story far as ah can tell.”
Twilight was becoming concerned. “You know, this is the most I’ve ever heard you talk. Is something the matter?”
“I’m not sure,” he replied as he scanned a book he’d taken down. There was a knock at the door. Twilight answered and wouldn’t ya know it, it was Fluttershy. 
“Hello Fluttershy!” Twilight greeted. Before Fluttershy could respond she noticed Big Macintosh scanning books in the back and kind of seized up. “Uhh, are you okay?”
“I’m fine,” she lied. She'd come to ask Twilight for books on the subject of romance, but with the subject of her interest standing right there she had become flustered and wasn’t sure what to say. “Uhm… Nevermind.” She began backing away.
“Nonsense, come on in!” Twilight smiled as she pulled her friend inside. “You don’t have to be shy around me. Now, what did you come over to ask?”
The door was shut now. Fluttershy had nowhere to run, and Twilight Sparkle was completely oblivious to her plight. And what exactly was Big Macintosh doing there? Was Twilight interested in him too? “Um… I don’t want to disturb you,” Fluttershy began giving up hope.
“Big Macintosh came to find a book,” Twilight said gleefully. 
“Oh,” Fluttershy suddenly got it into her head that it was Big Mac who was into Twilight. Why else would he suddenly be into books?
“It seems he’s interested in sea monsters now!” declared the purple unicorn.
“Oh!” Fluttershy smiled. She remembered he’d been thinking about sea monsters on the cruise. “He’s just worried about his friend!” She walked over to the red stallion and asked, “Are you still worried about your friend?”
“Eyup,” he replied, still searching.
Dash looked up from her book.
“What?” asked Twilight; Fluttershy explained what little she knew about the situation.
“I had no idea it was so serious,” replied Twilight. “Hey Spike!”
“Yeah Twi?” he asked, entering from the balcony.
“Where’s that copy of Ancient Myths and Legends?” she asked. Though it was easy to find the generically titled book, there was little mention of Dagon inside; just a passing mention in reference to another book: the Necronomicon.
“What’s the Necronom-nom?” asked Dash.
“I’m… not really sure,” said Twilight, “I’ve heard of it before, but only in brief references. I’ve never actually seen a copy.”
“Maybe they have it at the library in Canterlot,” suggested Spike.
“Maybe,” replied Twilight, “Why don’t we visit Canterlot and have a look?”
“Cool!” said Dash, “This is starting to sound like a Daring Do story! I’m coming too!”
“I would like to come, as well?” asked Fluttershy, although her phrasing should have been declarative.
“Then its settled,” smiled Twilight, “We’re going to solve the mystery of what scared Big Macintosh’s friend.”
“Why don’t you tell us who he is so we can just ask him?” Spike asked the big red pony.
“Nope,” he shook his head, “Ah promised ah wouldn’t say.”
“Well, if it’s alright with everypony, we should leave in the morning!” said Twilight. Everypony agreed and they all parted ways to prepare for the trip.
Meanwhile, Pokey was clueless of his friend’s efforts. He was enjoying spending time with his new girlfriend. Seeing the two goofing around town, Lucky decided perhaps he should try his hoof at winning the mare of his dreams.