//------------------------------//
// Friendship is Business 
// Story: The Godmare 
// by Skylarking the Stargazer 
//------------------------------//

In the realm of the equine world, things are not always peaceful. 

And no, it does not involve petty gossiping or family drama.

While the innocent civilians walk through their days, eager to see the face of tomorrow, the world trembles at the unknown corners stigmatizing the underworld. Nocturnal thugs' eyes are sharp as bats and owls when they dart for the chance to steal. Gamblers and drunks befoul the shadowy blocks with their nasty appearances, save for their unbearable lack of sanity as well as their indubitably unrighteous violence. 

It can be anything, from the beat-down of street gangs to robbing their (cold) hard-earned cash, all the way to setting safe houses on fire over territorial disputes. Fights occur frequently from hoof combat to injurious explosives flaring like candle sparks in the dark. Even the homeless animals snarl in bitter hostility to stand their ground. What is only fair is the fact that there is no security around to keep their flanks in check. On the other hand, being left alone and helpless against angry mobs or criminal organizations feels no better.

In a pub located at the murky ghettos of Dodge Junction, the dim light barely illuminated the forthcoming dusk. It was quiet, with only a handful of ponies occupying the place on separate tables either drinking lavishly or discussing their future plans to seize the region. Yet, on the right end of the pub seated a group of the furriest yet most furious hench—critters of them all. 

"So, how much can that tiny rabbit drink?" The pub's bartender puckered his lips at the white-furred lepus, who angrily growled back with a series of punctuated swearing. "Seriously, his size is about the length of his ears."

Motioning the bunny back to focus on the task at hand (which was no classier than a simple game of poker), a butter-toned Pegasus smiled back at the bartender. From the top was her Fedora hat wrapped with a gray hatband. Below the hat was a pair of shades latched through the mare's cherry-blossomed mane. Speaking of the mane, it was now behind her head, exposing her entire face. A jet black tuxedo sliced with white stripes, pinned with a bow tie and a rose in the upper middle, covered her body from shoulder to flank. The final piece of her attire was tucked with coffee trousers to her hind legs. "Oh no, Mister Riesling, I may call him Angel 'bunny', but he's actually matured much earlier than his counterparts."

"Very well then." Riesling faced his back towards the little group as he was wiping a glass cup. "As my loyal customer, you've cost me quite a fortune with those carrots just for him alone. I know wine with carrot cake is a subtle pairing, but you simply can't place a wedding ring on raw vegetables." 

"I'm terribly sorry for wearing you down, Mister, but Angel is quite a willful bunny. You really don't want to get on his bad side." Fluttershy said before drawing a card from the blue deck. A five-of-a-kind! But then her kind heart would weep for a disheartened raccoon, Smoky Junior, who sat across the table. Peeking through the window behind him, Fluttershy realized he's had a series of terrible hands since the beginning of their game. 

"Oh Smoky Junior, are you feeling alright?" She placed a hoof over the raccoon's forehead. "You don't look so well ever since we started playing poker! You must be feeling bad for yourself, weren't you?"

"Or the fact that you had him 'playing' with your cigar took a toll on his health." Riesling retorted, flushing out a sigh. "Raccoons don't smoke." 

"Don't worry, I'm well aware of my animal injustices, done to ponies of course." She patted Smokey's head and took back the wet cigar from his mouth. A beaver who sat next to Fluttershy grabbed her lighter and rekindled the cigar back to life, followed by a puff of smoke wafting through the air. "After all, we are no more different than our biological counterparts."

"Has anypony ever told you that you're a sadistic misequinist regarding no value of our people at all?"

She tipped her hat at a water tank in which the fish were sleeping in. "If I were a misequinist, I would be garroting professionals like yourself by the counter, Mister 'Luca Braising'."

"That's not my point—" He unintentionally grabbed a thick piece of wire cord from the shelf, followed by an eye roll. "And my full name is Lucrative B. Riesling, I would very much appreciate it if you don't use my nickname like that in public."

Suddenly, the pub's door was blasted open. Two rows of armed stallions trotted in and locked their mana-charged rifles at the defenseless ponies. Ponies looking from the outside took their chances to make the run as gunshots blared the place into Luna's world itself, leaving only a single candle beside Fluttershy's group untouched. As the rambunctiousness fell to dead silence, a single shadow, revealing itself to be a robed stallion, stepped in with a flashy grin across his face. 

"Alright boys, looks like this place'll be ours in five minutes."





In five minutes, the robed stallion's body was bundled with a rope as he rolled on the ground beside Fluttershy. His henchmen were stripped of their armed goods and taken to prison by the Royal Guards.

"Well, that was easier than I thought." Lucrative Riesling said as he glanced at the unfamiliar stallion. "I've never seen this kid in the town before. But to be honest, he did make quite an entrance despite inexperienced."

Fluttershy giggled. "How very unfortunate of him to stumble upon your bar, Mister Riesling. Some poor souls out there really don't know the price to pay"— She began chewing another cigar— "I'm terribly sorry for the mess I've made to nurture him." 

"I would awfully like to suggest that you replace that word with something more realistic. We're not in the place of those happy-go-lucky ponies where 'friendship' solves everything with ease." 

"Oh, I definitely meant nurture, Mister." With her hoof signal, Angel and the Smoky family surrounded themselves around the stallion and tugged his cheeks in all directions. 

"Now then..." Fluttershy smiled down at her new victim, promptly hoofing his nose in a circular fashion. "What can I do for my seventeenth customer this year?"

"Ye kan kith mfy hulank." The stallion responded hostilely, feeling his muscle tearing apart on all sides. 

She brought a hoof to her ear and leaned closer to him. "I'm sorry, could you speak just a teeny bit louder? I think you said something about 'kissing your flank' in ancient Ponish?"

"Afdahisbfdihtits!"

"Aw, poor thing!" The mare continued hoofing his nose back and forth. "Maybe I should bring him to my nurture chamber."

Drenched in cold sweat, the pinned stallion exchanged looks with Riesling, only to be responded with the bartender's features wincing and head shaking. Naturally helpless, the newcomer of Dodge Junction stared into Luna's crafty nightfall in dismay, praying to the stars.





Fluttershy's "nurture chamber" is no different from most of the mafia's malicious methods. From the white room to Cinchinese water torture, the victim suffering in that atmosphere will forever regret being born at all. There'll be no escape for him, as he shall grimly accept his fate. Under a dark long tunnel that led to only more darkness, the stallion's eyes trained on the dim atmosphere held by a single cigar on a certain mare's lips. 

"So your name is Cartlo Rissing, a member of the Rising family before legally changing your surname to 'Rissing'?" 

Slowly, he nodded as if the hot air pinned him to the ground. "I would always tell my parents that oysters are neither pearls nor seashells, but that's only a partial reason why I cut ties with them."

       "So did you want oysters or seashells from them?"

       "How's that relevant to why I'm here?"

       "Every piece of detail matters when it comes to interrogations. I learned it from a pink party friend of mine."

"Okay okay, fine. I wanted seashells and pearls, but they keep giving me oysters because they can be sold consistently at a high price, but I just wanted pearls and seashells for my collection. So we argued over it, and yes it sounds stupid but that's exactly what happened." 

"Do you hit on your wife?"

"I'm not hungry yet—" A cringe. "What?"

"I asked you if you abuse your wife daily."

Avoiding her meticulous gaze, Cartlo blankly shook his head, as if he didn't even know whether he was single or not.

"Just making sure." Fluttershy took out the cigar from her mouth. "Sorry, it's hard speaking clearly while chewing on this big boy." She signaled two moles emerging from below and was brought a fresh piece of another cigar. "Don't be scared, Cartlo. It will be all fine, just tell me more about yourself and why you've tried dealing with me."

Cartlo Rissing's hooves fidgeted and spazzed in the most abnormal manner until Fluttershy offered him the cigar and had it ready before placing it into his mouth. 

"T-thanks..." He sniffed. "Thank you, Donna Fluttershy..."

With a motion towards herself, Fluttershy and Cartlo's interaction caused an "indirect" lip kiss, or better put, a cigar kiss. This behavior usually signals genuine and sincere friendliness. With a faint grin, the stallion began to lose the grip of the hostile atmosphere around him...

Until he instantly spat it out, frowning awkwardly. "This is nothing but disrespectful."

Fluttershy nodded wholly. "Indeed. Now you know you're nothing but incompetent and weak with a puff of smoke, you will be punished with asphyxiation."

"So you're going to, tickle me?"

"Not me, of course." She gestured to Angel, the Smoky family, the two moles, and a couple more bunnies who dug their way to the underground. The last interaction between Cartlo Rissing and Fluttershy was a casual wink and tremendous sweating off his rugged muzzle. 

Screams could be heard barraging through the tunnel as the mare hummed her way up into her cottage.





"You WHAT?!" Princess Twilight Sparkle yelled across the cutie map table. Her echoes left cracks in her castle's crystal structures. "You tortured another pony?!"

"I nurtured him, Twilight."

"By your standards?! That's a freakin' torture chamber like any other underworld punishment!" The alicorn's eyes bulged and swelled while hoofing her head, lost in thought. "Sometimes, I can't believe I'm friends with Madonna of an animal gang..."

"Donna. I'm called a Donna." Fluttershy corrected her.

"Calm down, Twilight." Pinkie Pie tittered with a couple of snores. "At least Fluttershy released him while he was half dead. Now Cartlo Rissing works at a local newsstand doing good for everypony. Nurture sure helps the future!" 

"Yeah, Fluttershy totally nailed the situation in my book." Rainbow Dash joined in the conversation. "That crazy kid attacked her and her friend's bar first! She had every right to do whatever she wanted with him." 

Huffy, Twilight shut her eyes to recollect her thoughts. "So the one pacifist who avoids all conflicts and accurately represents the Element of Kindness, makes her living by harming ponies?" She slammed the table. "Which is tickling them?!"

"Uh, that shouldn't be what you're concerned about right now," Spike murmured.

Fluttershy chuckled "Don't worry, Twilight. I don't conduct any of these acts toward my students even when they disobey me. I give them enough room to rebel, before feeling the matter being crucial at hoof."

"That sounds no more different than gosh darn tyrant in mah book," Applejack commented.

"To be honest, Applejack," Rarity retorted at the farmer, "Fluttershy seems to handle the students better than any of us, considering how much the students appreciate her way of teaching... which leads to her getting the Teacher of the Month award every single time."

"It's true," Spike pointed out, "Fluttershy is very lenient to the students, I wouldn't say she's doing any harm to them at all." 

"On one of my escape room quizzes, I remember Yona responding to a sad-faced puppet on whether to see someone as a lost cause or cheer them up, she put down 'remove them from your life, it'll only shame Yak's honorary traditions'." 

"Same went for me, Pinkie. Ocellus and Sandbar were constantly bombarding me with questions on how tense it is working with celebrities like Sapphire Shores, Fancy Pants, and Hoity Toity, and how I should"— Rarity gritted her teeth — "'take care' of them if they don't cooperate."

"Uh-huh!" Rainbow nodded. "Smoulder once pounced on one of my students and tried to knock him out because he refused to engage in this pyramid scheme involving weed, kinda like what Pinkie was saying about what Fluttershy did to Carlo Rizzi—"

"It's Cartlo Rissing." Fluttershy interrupted her.

"Yeah yeah, whatever. You get my point."

"You let your students do...?" Twilight's left eye irresistibly twitched. "Weed?"

"For Equestria's sake, no they ain't high! It's just plain weed grass! I don't know why they chose it or what they're up to with it!"

"Good, because for a second I questioned your teaching abilities. But a pyramid scheme is downright illegal in any part of Equestria, let alone you're letting it happen in our classroom."

"Annnnnd there goes my Teacher of the Month award." Rainbow Dash grumbled. 

"And a healthy cut off your salary as well."

She rolled her eyes. "Whatever, I still got other jobs to cover my insurance and mortgage. My mansion needs to be big enough to fill my awesomeness, ya know?"

Fluttershy resumed back onto the main topic. "If someone like Cartlo Rissing can't follow his family's traditions, what's the use of them other than getting in the family's way?"

Everyone, minus Pinkie Pie, darted at her with widened eyes. 

"Ohhhhh! So it was you who taught them those hateful lessons." Pinkie tittered again. "You almost got me there!"

"I'm sorry to say this Fluttershy, but I'm disappointed in you." Twilight's gloomy eyes fled the table. "What you've done for Equestria and your friends are more than heroic, but that doesn't make it right to hurt other ponies through physical force. And what's worse is that you're teaching those methods to our students!"

Pretending she was utilizing a cigar, Fluttershy blinked at the emotional alicorn with a blank poker face. "Friendship is business."

Twilight's left eye could be seen twitching again. "Um, what's that supposed to mean?"

Her poker face remained stagnant. "Friendship is business."

"Come again?"

"Friendship is business."

"Alright stop, I didn't mean for you to repeat it thrice." She sighed. "But Fluttershy, we've been through all sorts of adventures together, and every solution we came across for all the ponies around Equestria was to establish a peaceful foundation between them! Even the Hooffields and McColts who stood ages warring each other, we brought an end to their pointless bloodshed. We've used the same essence of power to defeat countless foes and reformed half of them! Now we even got one of them living with us!" 

"It's nice to see you too, Twilight." Starlight Glimmer's monotone voice sent shrills down the princess's spine.

"O-oh hey Starlight! We're just talking about—"

"Yeah, I was listening to you the entire time." The unicorn stood by the hallway door while wiping her face with a towel. "Cozy Glow, before her incident, once came to my office and said she formed a 'family tree' with two other fillies."

"And with Cozy as the 'Donna', right?"

"She tried to make them do her dirty work in class."

"That's quite a good way of saying manipulation and enslaving!" Twilight forced an awkward grin, only to leave Starlight slamming the door on her. Groaning, she fixed her gaze back onto the mafia mare. Rarity could not help but whisper to Spike.

"Small talks like these are terribly awkward and ill-mannered." 

"As I was saying, Fluttershy. Friendship is something that ponies have to work for in order to be rewarded with. It brings tension to neither sides, only stability and happiness." 

"But that's exactly what a business does." 

"No it doesn't!" Twilight immediately raised her voice. "In a business, everypony goes for the money. Sure there are amiable moments here and there, but when an impasse comes nopony would care because their avarice is at stake!"

Peering across the table, Twilight noticed two flat pieces of gold being tossed in the air before landing on Fluttershy's hoof. 

"Um..." She blinked. "What are you playing with?"

Fluttershy smiled wryly. "Your bits. Well, they're mine now, excuse me."

"W-what? Hey! Give those back!" 

After handing the bits back, Fluttershy naturally grimaced at the issue. "This is what happens when you leave your windows half opened every Tuesday morning. I told my feathered friends and they 'bit' it in."

Many feet above her head were sparrows and pigeons chirping and waving to Fluttershy while sticking their tongue out at Twilight. At the second hoot, the birds quickly fled into the sky from Owlowiscious's sounding wrath.

"H-how did you know that?" Twilight stammered, unsure if she's ready to hear more.

"She did expose my schedule to you all just a couple of weeks ago." Rainbow Dash shrugged while slouching on her seat. "Now I have to readjust by starting all over again."

"By readjustin', ya mean yer hooficure sessions on weekends?"

"That's it, robbing chicken eggs from Sweet Apple Acres gets on the list."

Applejack's nostrils fumed. "Don't you dare, sugarcube."

Ignoring the side chatter, Fluttershy continued. "Both Applejack and Rainbow Dash are the type of mares who would charge in by themselves without thinking for their family members when impulsiveness overtakes them, only to be lured in an ambush and end up outnumbered. That is the conclusion I can draw based on the amount of keen observation I've made through the past years we've spent together." She stroked her mane, avoiding their dumbfounded glares. "I know each and everything you girls do, that's how I'm able to plan my things accordingly. Otherwise, I wouldn't lack an excuse to hang out with my friends." 

"But why did you take my bits, Fluttershy?" Twilight firmly asked.

A deep breath. "Well Twilight, it just goes to show how much precious valued goods matter to us. Yes, we may be close friends, but even when something doesn't go right for us personally, we will voice it out in displeasure."  

"But the expense is small, Fluttershy!" Twilight retorted, "Anything that goes wrong in a mafia involves violence and immoral acts."

"Violence is only necessary when you have to protect your friends and family members, isn't that what we have done in the past against the Changeling invasion on Canterlot? Or when you've fought Tirek head to head with combined alicorn magic from the Princesses?"

"Yes, but—"

"But you had to. You had to protect us and as well as all of Equestria from tyranny and chaos. There is nothing wrong with that, it's perfectly justifiable. Just like I had to deal with my enemies and competitors, but it's only in a more... austere fashion."

Upon hearing that word, Twilight's features contracted. Her glare fixed upon the pegasus, attempting to defend her position.

"And by taking your bits without your permission, you lose a sense of comfort, as well as security, to be precise. That lack of wealth used for daily commerce becomes missing, and deep down you panic for yourself, regardless of who it was that took it from you. That intrusion becomes personal, and anger slips out. It works the same way in a mafia." 

"Wow, Fluttershy's totally got you there, Twilight!" Pinkie exclaimed joyfully. "Even though I have no idea what's going on at all!"

"Well if Fluttershy's committing all of these 'crimes', then why didn't the royalties take any action?" Rarity asked. "Sure, they may not enough have time on their hooves to extract further information, but what mafias do are considered absolutely unacceptable in our civil perspectives."

Fluttershy beamed at the fashioning. "Well, two great minds think ali—"

"Don't you finish that sentence." Twilight furrowed her brows at the pegasus. "Now you're going to convince us mafias are civilized ponies despite breaking the law and doing more harm than good, right?"

Another deep breath. "Look now Twilight, I know you're still not used to my true identity, but at least I don't go around assassinating ponies by placing explosives in their vehicles, only to make it worse by unintentionally hurting their loved ones instead."

"Um, what now...?"

Fluttershy cleared her throat. "If I truly did not care for anybody, I would have brought my group into the drug business, which usually doesn't end well for any mafia organization."

"What's that supposed to mean?"

"Maybe I'll show you my cottage, on a more advanced basis."





"While it may not seem like much, but there are lethal weapons hidden within vases and under plants. If any heated action takes place here, the whole cottage will undergo a meltdown. Oh, and here are some secret closet rooms that lead to my explosive storage! It tricks ponies thinking there's cash on the surface had they ever found out, but little did they know this entire place will be blown to smithereens!"

The rest of her friends exchanged nervous glances as they followed behind her, paying extra attention to the new details that they have previously ignored around Fluttershy's cottage.

"My bedroom is all about fake IDs and painite gems in case we are pressured to make trades with Marexican drug cartels. Minor business in the black market starts in the wake of next month." 

"What has she been up to recently?" Applejack whispered to the group. "Ain't none of this rotten cider jam she's ever mentioned when we go out together."

"Oh and also, Harry is my personal bodyguard. He roams the basement and occasionally emerges to fetch honey."

With that said, a giant shadow loomed over the seven figures. Harry the bear cracked his fists like fireworks set off at nighttime. A low growl could be heard through his clenched teeth. Slowly turning around to greet their new friend, the silence remained until gulps were heard plummeting down everyone's throats. 

Fluttershy calmly held out a hoof, and immediately Harry limped his way towards her. "Don't worry girls, Harry's just received medical treatment from me earlier this morning because his jaw got dislocated by another bear for 'keeping too much heat in the air'."

"And that bear thought to hit Harry would've made it any better?" Twilight raised a brow.	

"Yes, maybe and no." 

"Which one is it?"

"Well, Harry's father got injured by a rival family. While he was resting in his den, Harry made sure nobody trespasses their territory, and not especially the den. The rival family's leader brought a friend, who was bigger and tougher than this poor thing, and... you know the rest." She placed a hoof on the insecure creature, gently stroking him as he groaned.

"What did you do in return?" Twilight asked.

"Well, nothing much, per se."

"Good, because I was gonna say—"

"I took care of their leader and his friend in their feasting cave. Now they're forced to move deeper into the Everfree Forest."

Rarity trembled upon hearing that. "I must say, darling, that was some déjà vu indeed."

Twilight's nostrils fumed ever so loudly. She was completely in lost of words. "And enacting vengeance upon others makes it any better? What if they retaliated with a full animal kingdom invasion?!"

Rainbow Dash rolled her eyes. "Twilight, we all know that won't happen." 

"I'm not only talking about this instance, Rainbow. The problem here is that revenge only spreads hate! And as that hatred builds upon year after year, nobody will win! And only more grievance will follow!"

"Fluttershy, darling, listen to Twilight here." Rarity walked up beside the alicorn. "I know it must've been hard for you when being trampled on by other ponies in the public, but that does not excuse you to hurt anyone else back." 

Fluttershy blinked. "But even us as friends, we would have arguments and fights from time to time. But eventually, time will heal it all."

"Business is fragile, a relationship formed in that way cannot be healed." Twilight retorted.

"And you're saying friendship isn't?"

Twilight was silent. 

Fluttershy relaxed her features. "We've been very productive when it comes to developing a special bond, Twilight, that was why friendship came so smoothly between the six of us. Everything we've been through together was what brought us so close, but when we bicker and argue over the simplest of things, even a genetic family chain can easily break apart."

"But you can always redeem yourself and bring your friends together. A business, especially among mafias, can't!"

"And what about it? If you can't find harmony with that group, then try again with someone else. Again, it is no different from having friends. I do what I have to in order to protect my relationships. That includes my family, my best friends, my animals, and everything I've ever come across that is important to me."

Just as she finished her sentence, a series of heavy knocks were heard pounding on the front door. An urge to panic filled the stomachs of the Mane Six (Spike was panicking for food) minus Fluttershy, who got off her chair and calmly marched towards the door. As the knocks got louder, voices could be heard from the other side.

Calmly, Fluttershy trotted towards the door. "And this is the perfect opportunity to show you what I mean."





"Open up, mafia girl! This is the Vicenzo Stable demanding your presence!"

"This isn't a request, it's an order!" The second voice boomed. "You don't want to deal this mess with boss Vicecenzo, trust me!"

"No idiot! It's Vi-shen-zo. Not Vice-shen-zo, you dimwit! How many times must I say it?!"

"But that makes no sense, Bonne. Vincenzo is the proper mafia noun and since we're known for having ponies leaving the group because they get sluggishly lazy, so shouldn't it be 'Vice' then the 'cenzo'?"

"The boss literally explained us on the first day, Sarah. He shortened it to avoid tongue twisting." 

"Ohhhh now that sounds more like it... What are we here for again?"

"I would very much like to rot in a toaster by now than standing here explaining everything to your sorry—"

The door creaked open. Inside was a set of cerulean eyes peeking at the new guests. "Um, is there something I can help you with?"

"Saving your flank might as well be your damn help, kid!" The gray coated stallion, better known as Bonne, fumed through his nostrils as Fluttershy stepped out. "You've been in debt to us for our armed goods!"

"We're bankrupted out of fortune! Not even millions of bits can put this up!" Sarah, the second stallion, followed with a metal scabbard to his side. "Your days are numbered, kid. Boss Vicenzo's patience resides on its final straw."

"And if you don't do what we tell you." He pulled out his blade and held it to the pegasus' throat. "This warning may as well be your last."

Inside the cottage, gasps and shrieks were heard from the rest of the Mane Six. 

"They're gonna kill Fluttershy!" Applejack exclaimed in horror.

"We have to get out of there and stop them!" 

"But then they'll just hold her as hostage anyway!" 

"It's better than sitting our flanks here and doing nothing! At least it'll buy us some time!"

"Nah, we should just sit here and eat her food in the meantime."

"Exactly! We'll steal her food— Wait WHAT?!" Twilight furiously shook her head and shot a glare at the tiny dragon who was thrashing his claws through Fluttershy's refrigerator. "Spike!"

"What? Isn't stealing what mafias kinda do anyway?" His voice was muffled with a mouthful of crackers. "And besides, he's got it."

As the Mane Five watched him, Harry the bear stomped his way out the kitchen and towards the door where his caretaker was at. Gawking, they silently peeked through the windows to witness the miracle happen.

For the Godmare of course, it was just another day on the job.

Unwary (and quite unfortunate) to the stallions, two giant furry forelegs emerged from the door and grabbed them each on one claw. Roaring in hunger, Harry choked the living air out of the two ponies and sniffed them both to determine his next meal. As they could only watch their fates being sealed. Fluttershy hummed happily below the waggling henchmen who desperately cried for mercy. 

"It is a fine day, ponies open windows. They leave their houses, only to see a hungry bear."

"Please! I take back everything I just said!" Bonne squealed. "I'd do anything to not get eaten by this monstrosity!"

"Yeah! Put us down— Wait, that's just pathetic. We obviously didn't expect this freak show after all that tough talk. Now look at our situation, we're taking this L."

"I can see that, you buffoon!" Bonne spat while struggling to wrestle against Harry's overwhelming grip. "Stop being so pessimistic and help convince her to put us down!"

Sarah shrugged. "I mean, we kinda deserved it so..."

Once Fluttershy cleared her throat, Harry immediately lowered the two stallions to her height. As they withered to absolute submission before the supreme mare, Fluttershy pulled out a cigar and signaled the nearby blue jays to carry her a lighter. One of the jays flicked the metal wheel, sparking enough flame to light the cigar. After thanking her subordinates, Fluttershy brought the cigar up to their faces and engaged in warm contact with their cheeks.

"Holy Celestia that was freakin' hot! Whaddya do that for, squirt!"

The buttery mare giggled as she flipped her mane. Her cheeks blushing innocently as she spoke, "Oh Bonne and Sarah! Dishonesty is a no-no even among criminals, you see. It's just, Vicenzo and I are in good hooves. Last week I went out drinking with 'your boss' at a local pub, we had a long nice discussion about our upcoming collaborations to take down the Buffalo Wild Wings in Dodge Junction and then splitting our territory at San Franciscolt. We're also importing toxic buffalo seasoning from those lovely folks back in Appleloosa, my fellow Smoky raccoons would love to have needles to sting those naughty children out there."

"A-a-and what's your point?" The gray stallion stuttered with serious hyperventilation gassing inside him.

"If he mentioned anything about my debts to him, it should be your kidneys and brain matters." Fluttershy stifled her giggle. She grabbed the brown stallion's blade and replicated what he had done just now. The brown stallion's bulging eyes urged him to back away from the blade's edge. 

Meanwhile, her friends slowly backed away from the windows, witnessing enough horror for the day. 

"Well I was worried about Fluttershy at first, but now it's scaled onto the other darn end."

"She wouldn't, right? Fluttershy would never do such a horrible thing!" Twilight panted with her hooves over her head as she watched her friend motioning the blade at the stallions. Her teeth chattered in a rabid frenzy. "What has this situation gone down to?!" 

"Bonasera, what a lovely name! I must write a romance with him as the protagonist." Rarity remarked, leaning by the window as if she was watching a drama film. 

"It's Bonne and Sarah, two separate names on two crazy stallions who were trying to come for Fluttershy's darn head! And how in tarnation is that any more important than a pony's life?" 

"Bonesera." 

Applejack flared her nostrils. 

"Yeah, maaaaaaybe I should've stolen some food with Spike." Rainbow Dash flew over to Fluttershy's refrigerator and gobbled the crackers.

Fluttershy smoothly slid the blade back into the stallion's scabbard. "I wouldn't have minded if you two requested me for protection. I would've given you the justice you deserved. But next time if you need anything, just ask nicely, and we can form a nice friendship, don't always have to be debts. Pretending to be under a big name like Vincenzo makes you no better than those who left you ruined in shambles." She playfully pulled and rubbed the stallions' cheeks in a repeated motion. "And you didn't even call me The Godmare. Where's the respect in that, wouldn't you say?" 

"B-b-be my f-friend?" Sweat trickled between the stallions' eyes as they lowered their gazes below Fluttershy's unamused expression. 

"Godmare?"  

Their skins paled to bleach. Motioning the each of them to her raised hoof, the stallions had no choice but to kiss it with their lips flipped open. They expected themselves to be put down and flee. Yet, they noticed, through a wink of Fluttershy's eye, that their rib cages slowly caved inwards as Harry gripped them tighter than their situation was just now. 

"Good. Now you're all set!"

With that said, Harry flung the two ponies into the air like rag dolls and saw them soaring up and away until they blinked away into the endless blue. Fluttershy cheerfully waved to the tiny figures beyond her vision.

"Have a safe trip home!"