Why does this always happen to me? A depressed pegasus slowly walked down the cobblestone road leading out of Ponyville. It was dark, the sun had already set, and there was a light rain, but he didn't care. It was that damned Rainbow Dash's fault! His expression started to change from sadness to anger. If she hadn't been there, none of this would have happened! Finally noticing his rage, the white pegasus tried to calm himself down; tried to get the thoughts of the past few days out of his head; tried to remember the past, when everything was perfect...
~~
The wedding had gone off without a hitch. Almost all of Ponyville showed up - it wasn't often a couple got married in such a small town - and even some of Grafix's old friends from the city came. After the festivities were over, the newly wed pair went back to Grafix's home and laid out on the porch, just as they had done on their first date. The two often gazed at the night sky from this very location, but that time, it was different. It was the happiest night of the young artist's life - rivaled only by the moment shared in the exact location over two years ago. No words were exchanged for a very long time, until Grafix finally spoke up.
"You know, I wouldn't be able to live without you." he said softly.
"And I can't live without you." answered the pale mare, drifting off to sleep on his side. He looked down and smiled; she was so peaceful when she slept. Everything was perfect.
Fluttershy eventually moved in with Grafix, but kept her cottage as a 'vacation home'. They would sometimes spend days there, leaving the stress of everyday life behind. They often cared for the animals or gardened, two things that Grafix wasn't quite too keen on, but they were together, so he was happy. They would occasionally go to the ruined tower and lay out at night, staring at the stars - both loved the majestic night sky. Everything was perfect.
It was three months after the wedding that Grafix bought a small shop in the marketplace of Ponyville. It was a quaint little place, but in a prime location - ponies wandering through Ponyville would often stop in and buy a piece or two - Grafix's name spread throughout Equestria thanks to the word of the many travelers who frequently wandered into the small town. He was later able to buy a larger shop, and was even able to sell his art all over the land with the aid of traveling merchants. He and Fluttershy were better off than ever. Everything was perfect...
That is, until one day. This very day happened to be only one day prior to Grafix's and Fluttershy's one year anniversary. It was on this day that a certain cyan pegasus, one that Grafix knew only as the local weatherpony and one of Fluttershy's friends, walked through his doors. She began looking around the shop, looking as if to buy something, but never actually pulling anything off the wall. Looking distraught, she went over to the counter and confronted the artist currently cleaning the glass showcases.
"Hey, you the owner here?" She asked Grafix.
"Yes, my name is Grafix, how can I help you?" He responded.
"Oh yeah, you're Fluttershy's husband. What's up? I'm Rainbow Dash, the fastest flier in Equestria!" never missing a chance to gloat, "I'm looking for a piece that I can put in my cloud castle, but doesn't take away from my awesomeness, any thoughts?
"Ah yes, miss Dash, Fluttershy talks about you often." He says. "As for the art, I have some more pieces in the back that I was planing on taking out later, why don't you follow me back." He says as he turned around and went into the doorway behind the counter, beckoning for the cyan mare to follow. They entered the storeroom and Rainbow Dash was amazed at the sheer amount of art this one pony puts out.
"I- Uh- Buh- Wow." She stuttered, still trying to take in the massive amount of paintings that lines the walls. "You must have a lot of free time..."
"I like to lay out on the deck with Fluttershy and paint. She enjoys watching me, she says it cheers her up, and I like anything that makes her happy, so naturally I paint often." He explained, taking some of the higher paintings down as to be seen easier. "Of course, I also enjoy panting."
"Wow, Fluttershy is really lucky to have such a nice... caring... artistic... handsome... romantic..." she trailed off. Dash turned to Grafix with half-lidded eyes and began to advance. Grafix, sensing what was happening, began to back up, trying to get as much ground between him and the aroused pegasus.
"H-hey now..." he said, softly. "B-back up there, I'm s-still Flutershy's husband." He backed up all he can - he felt the wall on his flank. As Dash got even closer, he began to feel her breath on his neck.
"Oh, don't worry," she said, almost a whisper into his ear, "She doesn't have to know." With that, the cyan mare tackled Grafix to the ground and pined him to the floor, attacking his mouth with her own. Caught up in the moment, the white stallion let his guard down, not doing anything to either aid or resist the aroused mare on top of him. No. This is wrong, Fluttershy is my wife, not her. He thought. He began to try to push her off, but to no avail.
"Rainbow Dash- mmf -get off!" He tried to say I between the other pony's lips. "Fluttersh- mmm -could come in any second!"
*Gasp*
Both ponies stopped and turned to the doorway, which was now filled with the silhouette of Fluttershy. Tears were falling from her face and an occasional whimper could be heard every so often.
"Fluttershy..." Rainbow Dash began
"Fluttershy! Please!" Grafix begged, but it was too late. Fluttershy had already turned around and ran out of the shop. Everyone in the shop watched her run out, looked back into the room, and left the shop themselves, a look of disgust on their faces. Grafix shoved Dash off and began to yell, enraged at the assertive weatherpony.
"DO YOU SEE WHAT YOU JUST DID? NOT ONLY DID YOU JUST MAKE OVER 20 CUSTOMERS LEAVE MY STORE, BUT YOU MADE FLUTTERSHY, MY WIFE AND YOUR BEST FRIEND, GO HOME IN TEARS! I CAN'T BELIEVE YOU! SHE TRUSTED YOU, AND YOU BETRAYED HER." He screamed. He took a minute to calm down, and finally, in a calm voice, said, "If you weren't a mare you wouldn't still be standing." and took his leave, leaving Dash there, an astonished look on her face left by the outburst.
Grafix rushed home, trying to catch up to Fluttershy, but it was too late. When he got to his house, he saw the door wide open. Upon closer inspection, he found all of Fluttershy's belongings gone without a trace of where she had gone. The only thing she left was a small puddle of tears next to a shattered picture of the pair after their wedding. He went back out, attempting to look for her. As he searched Ponyville, it began to rain, a light drizzle, but smooth and constant. For days he looked, stopping only once a day to eat and, even then, it was only for a minute. After three days of being drenched by the never-ending rain, he decided to give up.
He went back to his home and wrote a hasty note, explaining why he had left and not to look for him. He locked his front door and posted the note to the door. Knowing only his wife had the key, he left a more detailed message on the inside of the door, and with that, he was off.
~~
Should I go back? he thought. He looked back at the town, a dim aura of light surrounding the faraway little village. No. I can't. Living in that house would only make me feel worse, there is only one thing I can do. With that, he turned to the tree line and, with no hesitation, galloped in...
--
"Quick... Somepony get... to a doctor... needs... medicical attention!" Grafix heard a faint voice, but he couldn't see anything, his eyes were closed. He didn't have enough energy to open them and he couldn't concentrate long enough to figure out what the voice was saying. "... waking up... hurry... we have... little time!" There it was again. Desperate to know what was happening, he tried to focus on opening his eyes. Straining himself until his head hurt, he failed to so much as move an eyelid and, exhausted, passed out.
--
-Beep-
-Beep-
-Beep-
For the fourth time in far too little time, he woke up having no idea where he was. This time, however, he seemed to have some memory of how he got there. He remembered the Everfree Forest, then there was a manticore, trying to run, he remembered running into a hydra's swamp- then it went to black. He remembered hearing the voices, seeing white ponies rushing him through a strange building, sounding urgent. He remembered the stress in their voice, the concern.
Snapping out of his trance, he looked around to see where he was. He noticed first the heart monitor he was attached to - the machine that woke him up. He also noticed several large bandages running up his body and on his head. Boy, if I hadn't been in this situation before, I might be scared. Then he remembered. Why he was in the Everfree. Why he was running. Why he wanted to- No. he thought. Don't go there. He focused on his surroundings once again. He seemed to be in a hospital, due to the massive amount of medical tools and machines. As he looked around, a pony walked into the room.
"Hello? Ah! Good, you're up. My name is Nurse Redheart, and Im your personal nurse for the next few days while you recover from your surgery." she said. Surgery? he began to think, but was interrupted. "You are in Ponyville's best medic center, taken here after they found you in the Everfree Forest. Please, if you need anything, just ask." she said, turning around to leave.
"Thank you. Oh, and I would like to know-" he began.
"Oh! I almost forgot, you have a visitor. She says she is family, a pegasus mare named 'Fluttershy'." His ears perked at the name.
"Let her in!" he responded, before she had finished her thought. She nodded and left, returning minutes later with his wife. As Fluttershy walked in, the nurse saw the look in Grafix's eyes and left, closing the door behind the two. Fluttershy took a seat next to the bed, never looking up at the artist. After a few minutes of silence, Grafix began.
"Fluttershy, I'm sorry for all of this, all of the pain I've caused you." he started, words coming from his heart. She looked up, straight at him. He continued, "I'm sorry for kissing Rainbow Dash. I'm sorry for not looking for you longer. I'm sorry for..." he paused. No! This is Fluttershy! I have to say it. "for trying to get myself killed." he said weakly.
She gasped and recoiled in the chair. She never understood why he went into the Everfree, but she didn't expect t to be such a drastic reason. "Why would you want to-"
"When I said I couldn't live without you, I meant it. If you're not by my side, I can't stand to not know where your are. You're all I live for, and I'd rather die than live with knowing I've upset and betrayed your trust."
She was now looking down, tears forming at her eyes. Slowly, she began to respond. "You know, I said I couldn't live w-without you, too. If you had d-died in the forest, I-I wouldn't be able to l-live with myself." she said, very softly. "Rainbow Dash explained e-everything, I know it w-wasn't your fault." She looked up at Grafix, who was looking directly at her.
"I'm sorry, I'm sorry for everything. I just want everything that happened in the last few days to be put in the past. To- to just be forgotten. I'm sorry for all the trouble I've caused. For all the pain you've been through. For everything." he finished, exhausted and our of breath, he WAS in the hospital.
For what seemed like hours they stared into each others' eyes. Not moving, not speaking, not doing anything but gazing into the other's eyes. Suddenly, Fluttershy moved. She kissed him. Not just a kiss, but a passionate one, even more so than that of their first night. Grafix's eyes shot open, taken completely by surprise. After a few seconds, he gradually closed them and embraced his significant other. It was moments like these he cherished. He enjoyed the romantic moments, the ones most found boring. Now, embracing Fluttershy, lips locked, all the stress of the real-world seemed to melt away. He smiled, everything was perfect.