//------------------------------// // Truths of the Heart // Story: Equestrian Titan // by Codex92 //------------------------------// One week had passed since the incident with Control Freak down at the mall. News about the mysterious villain with his universal remote blew up the internet, some security footage and recordings on witnesses phones showing the animated objects in every corner of the mall and the mystery shapeshifting hero helping the magical girls from Canterlot High stop Control Freak. Comments on social media sites that had the event featured on front pages were mixed from amazed, startled, and disbelief. Some tried to tell those who didn't believe it was all real that they were there at the time and how dangerous this madman was, only to spark flame wars and controversial theories. It was also a long week for the seven popular girls at Canterlot High and their newest addition to their friendship circle. After Fluttershy admitted her crush to Garfield, he had been distant from everyone: at school, at the pet shelter, even in Rainbow's home. Anytime someone asked him what was wrong, he stayed silent and walked away, lost in thought with an air of depression. He couldn't even look at Fluttershy, which made working together awkward, and the animals in the shelter could sense the tension between them, making the shelter ironically the quietest place in town. It was no better for Garfield, his thoughts plagued by his past with Terra as memories resurfaced. Every night was spent in a restless nightmare, his thoughts playing back all the painful moments with Terra: running away, being Slade's apprentice, their fights, and watching her sacrifice herself to save Jump City. He tried to stop her and plead with her, but his dreams continued to turn out bad, making up new worst-case scenarios where the results ended up worse than they had been. He wanted to get away from thinking about Terra, but Fluttershy telling him how she felt about him reminded him of her, along with her rejecting him after finding out she was back again. Garfield sluggishly swept the lobby of the shelter, running on only a couple hours of sleep after yet another traumatizing nightmare involving Terra. He began dozing off mid-sweep, snorting awake as he stumbled forward before continuing. Fluttershy watched him from the reception desk, more worried about his health and depression to laugh at the almost comical fall he made. She didn't care if he said no to being in a relationship with her if it meant seeing him hurting himself from whatever was going on in his head. Getting up, she walked over to him, gently grabbing the broom to stop him. "Garfield, what's wrong?" she asked. He looked at Fluttershy, then quickly looked away and continued sweeping. "I'm fine," he mumbled assuredly. "No, you're not." Garfield ignored Fluttershy, making her huff as she took the broom out of his hands this time. "You're exhausted, and ever since I asked you out last week, you've been acting strangely and avoiding us. What's made you so distant with us?" "Nothing," Garfield grumbled, his exhaustion making him grumpy as he tried to avoid the subject. "It's not nothing if you can't even look at me anymore," Fluttershy continued pressing. "Did something come up?...Is it me?" "No! I just-!" Garfield growled, letting out a heavy sigh, too exhausted to argue along with realizing who he was about to yell at. "...I'm gonna clean the kennel." "Garfield!" Fluttershy called out, but Garfield ignored her, making his way to the back to continue working. Fluttershy sighed, finding no leeway in getting her crush to open up with his issues. As she returned to the desk, plopping down on the chair, Rarity walked in with her Persian cat, Opal, the grumpy feline inside her luxurious carrier. "Hello, Fluttershy," Rarity greeted. "I just came by to give my widdle Opal her weekly grooming. She likes you more than...well, anyone else." Placing Opal's carrier on the desk, Rarity noticed the concerned look on Fluttershy's face. "Oh...Is Garfield still down in the dumps?" "I can't get him to talk to me," Fluttershy uttered. She let Opal out of her cage, the picky cat sauntering out with a frown while getting petted by the only person she wouldn't slash her claws at. "I tried being a bit more assertive, but he looked so frustrated and tired...I really hope I didn't do anything wrong." "Fluttershy, darling, it's not your fault," Rarity assured. "Neither of us knows what's gotten him so riled up. Rainbow's even saying she's heard him waking up in the middle of the night and not falling back to sleep." "He did almost pass out while sweeping earlier...Maybe I should ask our boss if he should take a couple days off," Fluttershy pondered. "I believe I have the solution to help get Garfield out of his funk and you two can have some fun together." Rarity dug into her purse, pulling out a pair of tickets. "I've got a couple tickets to the amusement park, and I will graciously give them to you." "Are you sure?" Fluttershy asked. "It's been over a week, and Garfield definitely needs to take his mind off whatever he's going through, so what better way to do that than going out one the weekend and having fun at an amusement park," Rarity said, then placed the tickets on the desk in front of Fluttershy. "And if he refuses, you put your foot down and drag his butt out there, with no choice but to have fun and throw his worries away!" "Oh, I don't know, Rarity," Fluttershy muttered. "I don't want to force him if he doesn't want to hang out with me. Not after I asked him out and got no reasonable answer." "Then make it just a day for the two of you to hang out and have fun instead of calling it a date," Rarity suggested. "If he refuses, maybe you can use your 'Stare' on him to get him to do what you ask." "It only works on animals, and if they're misbehaving too much," Fluttershy stated. "I can't really use it on people, even if I know them." Rarity shrugged, merely giving a playful suggestion. Fluttershy picked up Opal and stood up from her seat. "I'll get him out of this one way or another. I just hope a day at an amusement park will help." "It will, and it shall," Rarity reassured. "I'll be back in a little while to pick up Opal. Bye-bye, Opalescence! Mommy loves you!" Opal let out a hiss at her owner, obviously showing no similar sentiments as she was held in Fluttershy's arms like she was a royal pet. "Ugh. I really wish I knew why Opal doesn't appreciate me." Fluttershy looked down at the Persian cat, who let out a low growl before licking one of her paws. "...Uhh, Opal...has a different way of expressing her appreciation for taking care of her." "Quite a painful way if she scratches me or Sweetie Belle if you ask me." Rarity took her leave, leaving Fluttershy with Opal as she took the snobby cat to the back to give her her usual grooming treatment. Garfield woke up under some rubble, Jump City in ruins the scenario his dreams took him to once again. This moment was where Slade had Terra decimate the city, where he succeeded in overthrowing the Teen Titans by using the earth-bending super teen. Dreading to see what happens next, he pushed the debris off of him, looking around desperately for the girl he pined for and lost several times. "Terra!" he called out. He dreaded seeing her in that outfit Slade made her wear, the silver full-body suit that allowed him to control her every action if she refused to follow his orders. "Please don't let this happen again..." "Beast Boy!" He gasped, hearing her voice, quickly turning into a cheetah as he raced down the ruined street to her. The shapeshifter turned every corner as he heard Terra calling out to him, the environment around him changing after rounding a building or wall. The setting changed to locations he and Terra have been to, from the now abandoned amusement park back home to the caverns underneath Jump City where her petrified body was once a memorial to her heroic sacrifice. He found her in that very same spot, using her power to hold up the ceiling, dust and small rocks falling as the ceiling was caving in. Transforming back, Garfield ran toward her to try to help her. "Terra, hold on! I'm-!" Out of nowhere, Garfield was blindsided by a roundhouse boot to the face, sending him sailing back and sprawling on the ground with a painful thud. "I don't think you'll be much help for her with your shapeshifting powers." Groaning in pain, Garfield sat up, holding his face as he looked at who hit him. It was obvious from his voice, seeing how this was the man who tried to destroy the Teen Titans and their relationships with each other for a long while: Slade. No one had any idea what his face looked like, hidden behind a metal mask, one side completely black and blank while the other was orange and at least showed one eye, and there were a few slots at the bottom on the orange side where his mouth would be. He wore a black full-body suit with silver armor plating all over his outfit, boots in the same style, and a belt filled with pouches that held anything the dastardly mercenary carried. "You couldn't save her now than you would in the past." "Slade," Garfield growled, hating this man with a passion. He tried to rip Robin away from them and manipulate him into being his apprentice, then did the same with Terra and fell to his demise when she finally broke free of his hold, and succeeded summoning Trigon when Raven turned sixteen when he somehow earned a second chance at life. A deep-seated anger inside of him wanted to tear Slade to pieces after all he's done, barely satisfied the last time when he destroyed a robot who impersonated him. "Get out of my way!!!!" Getting up and running at the man, Garfield shifted into a rhino and charged at him, aiming his horn right through his black heart. Slade barely flinched, holding one hand up and quickly latched onto the curved horn, stopping the enraged Titan without even budging an inch. Garfield let out angry huffs, trying to push Slade, but to no avail. "You call yourself a hero, but time and time again, you will just keep losing her," Slade taunted. Garfield snarled, then shifted into a tiger, hoping his changing form would stagger the mercenary. It didn't as he pounced Slade, letting out a gasp when the man's surprisingly strong grip snatched his neck, his paws flailing wildly while he was choked and tried to leave a scratch on the man's body. "Pathetic. You're far more predictable than your friends are. You're nothing but a wild animal going on a rampage, too stubborn to give up and realize you've lost what you can never get back." Rearing his free arm back, Slade punched Garfield hard in the abdomen, who let out a gasping roar in pain and reverted the Teen Titan back to normal. Slade dropped him, letting the teen hit the ground as he weakly clutched his chest while struggling to breathe. Garfield looked up as he heard Terra grunt, only to watch as she couldn't hold up the ceiling any longer, heavy debris caving in on her and possibly killing her. "T-Terra," he weakly called out, tears welling in his eyes as he lost her once more. His grieving was short lived when Slade stood in front of him, grabbing the prone teen by the back of his shirt, then tossed him out of a cave and back into Jump City, no longer in ruins. He slammed into a metal gate, shakily getting back on his feet as he looked around for Slade. "You again?" Turning around, Garfield saw Terra again, only this time, it was the Terra from the high school, the one who has no memory of him or her painful adventures in life. "Terra..." He couldn't get another word in when the schoolgirl scoffed. "How many times do I have to tell you? I'm not who you think I am!" she exclaimed angrily. "Why can't you just let it go!? Your Terra is gone! Just leave me alone before I get you arrested for stalking me!" Stunned speechless, Garfield stared sadly at the girl as the bell rang, watching her leave to head back inside to resume her classes. When he finally moved, walked over to the gate, desperately reaching his arm out to Terra, his voice lost in his throat as she dejected him once more. He slumped to his knees, his heart aching from constantly watching his crush dying or telling him off, both sides of her constantly depressing him in these nightmares. "You just can't seem to give up on her, can you, Beast Boy?" Slade questioned, appearing behind him without so much as a sound. "Or would you rather prefer to be called by your real name, Garfield Logan instead?" Garfield gripped the bars of the gate tightly, getting fed up listening to the tough mercenary. "You think you can run and hide from your problems, but they will never leave you. Not even in another world can you escape how you failed to be a hero." Growling, about ready to unleash the beast inside of him, Garfield quickly turned to transform into his werebeast form, but paused in shock when he looked at Slade. Held in front of him was Fluttershy, holding the girl hostage with a knife at her throat. "And you'll fail those who care about you in this world as well." "F-Fluttershy???" Garfield was dumbfounded. This was the first time his nightmares around Terra brought someone from the world he's in now, especially someone like Fluttershy. Confused, but still mad, he tried to move, but the knife at the girl's throat made him freeze up. "Let her go!" "Oh, so you have forgotten about Terra after all," Slade taunted. "You seem to care a lot about this girl." "I-I...S-She..." Garfield continued to stammer, unable to find a retort, even though this Slade was just a nightmare, but it feels like the mercenary was mentally trying to torture him. "You don't seem so sure of yourself," Slade said. "She sure does seem to have feelings for you." He held the blade closer, making Fluttershy whimper in fear, trying to lean away, but Slade's grip was far too strong for her to struggle. "I guess if you don't care about her, I can just end her life right in front of you." "NO!!!" Garfield finally acted, unleashing the were-beast inside and ran at Slade with a menacing roar. Slade let out small, mocking laugh, pushing Fluttershy away, and flung the knife at the enraged shapeshifter. It struck his chest, right in his heart, making his charge stagger as he let out a yelp in pain. Slade ran forward, leaping up to land a dive kick in Garfield's face, sending him flying back into the schoolyard gate, breaking it as the Titan shifted back to normal and fell in a dark abyss, blacking out as the last thing he heard was Fluttershy calling out to him tearfully. "OW!" Garfield yelped, waking up from his nightmare by falling out of bed, landing on his head. Grunting in annoyance, he flipped out of his bed, flopping on his stomach with a grumble, then rubbed the bump on his head. "I'm never going to sleep at this rate..." Getting up, he checked the time, just a little past eight in the morning. At least he slept longer than two or three hours, waking up at around 2 or 3 AM and staying up to avoid seeing Terra leaving him or dying before his eyes. But this was the first time Fluttershy had popped up in this nightmare, feeling conflicted by what nightmare Slade said to him. Garfield still loved Terra, and couldn't let her go, but since Fluttershy tried to ask him out, he didn't seem to share the same feelings until that moment Slade was going to hurt her. Looking back to the days where Fluttershy was attacked by creatures from Equestria that could have hurt her, he didn't think much about it when he saved her, even from the robber who held the girls at gunpoint. Maybe a part of him did want to start over with someone else, but because of his luck with girls, he was either shut down, or something terrible happens to ones he was serious about being with. Needing to get his mind off his recent dream, Garfield got himself dressed and headed downstairs to find some breakfast. While rummaging through the fridge for something, there was a knock on the front door. "Coming!" Rainbow called out. She opened the door to find Fluttershy stopping by. "Hey, Flutters." "Hi, Rainbow Dash," she greeted. "Is Garfield home?" "Yeah. I think he just woke up," Rainbow said. "Usually, this whole week, I kept hearing him waking up early in the morning. Guess he finally got some sleep." She let her friend in, both of them finding Garfield in the kitchen rummaging for his breakfast. "Yo, Garf, your girlfriend's here to see you." Rainbow's little joke made Fluttershy squeak, but Garfield shot his head up, which made him smack the back of his head on the ceiling. He yelped, then turned to glare at Rainbow Dash. Even Fluttershy leered at her after recovering from the awful joke, especially after the awkward tension from her asking Garfield out. The athlete's grin faltered to a sheepish grin, giggling nervously, then zipped away. "I could come up with a better joke than that," Garfield sarcastically said, rubbing the lump on his head. Now with him being alone with Fluttershy, he wished he could transform right now and hide away in his room to avoid talking to her, but he was stuck and had to face the music. "What is it?" "How are you doing today?" Fluttershy asked. "...Managed to get some sleep, but not enough for my weekend," he said. "Well, you weren't as tired as you were yesterday," she noted. "You remember when you told me I can tell you anything that's been bothering me? I can do the same for you, you know." "...Ok, but I'm fine," Garfield said. "Just...a few off days." "Ok. And if you're feeling better today,-" Fluttershy pulled out the tickets Rarity gave her yesterday. "-do you want to go to an amusement park with me?" She blushed, grinning sheepishly as she stammered, realizing she sounded like she was asking him out on a date. "J-Just to h-hang out and have fun, n-not like a...date..." Curious, Garfield took one of the tickets and looked at the name of the theme park. "'Equestria Land'? Weird name for someplace like an amusement park, but I've heard weirder names from thrift shops..." Looking back at Fluttershy, who seemed eager to hear him say "yes", Garfield handed the ticket back to her. "Sorry. I don't want to go. Thanks, anyway." He began to walk out of the kitchen, taking a banana for his breakfast to avoid speaking with anyone else today. Fluttershy was disappointed, but she wasn't going to let this slide after a whole week seeing her crush moping around. Not going to take no for an answer, she quickly grabbed his arm, feeling him wince while he let out an irritated groan. "You need a bit of fun after this week, and I don't want these tickets to go to waste," Fluttershy said. "Then why don't you ask Rainbow Dash?" Garfield suggested. "Because I want to take you, one of the closest friends I ever made, and I'm done seeing you miserable." Garfield rolled his eyes, but Fluttershy quickly turned him around, giving him the Stare, as Rarity suggested, dead set on getting him out of his funk. "You are coming along and you're going to enjoy yourself, mister! No ifs, ands, or buts!" Garfield tried to argue with her and ask her to leave, but he froze when he stared at the intimidating glare she gave him, something he never expected someone like her to do. He wanted to say no, but he couldn't look away from that gaze, part of him feeling like he would be scolded further by his mother for disobeying her. Shrinking slightly, he shakily took back the ticket, unable to look away as her eyes continued staring into his soul. "O-O-Ok. I-I'll go," he said. "L-Let me g-get my wallet first, t-then we'll go have f-fun." Fluttershy's eyes softened, surprised to see that her Stare managed to work on a person when she used it on misbehaving pets if her tambourine didn't work to soothe them. "...Umm...ok. I'll...wait by my car," she said, Garfield nodding in terror before doing an about-face, his steps almost robotic as the fear from the Stare slowly ebbed away. "...That's odd...I thought he would keep fighting me. Does my Stare affect people?" Before heading outside, Fluttershy found Rainbow Dash in the living room, feeling stupid for joking around saying she was Garfield's girlfriend when he's clearly having some relationship issues from his reaction a week ago. She stood in front of her friend, giving her the Stare, but instead of seeing that similar look of trepidation, Rainbow raised a brow in confusion. "What? Are you mad at me for that comment I made?" she asked. "I was joking! You should know me by now, Fluttershy!" "...Do you...feel nervous?" Fluttershy questioned. "...No...? Just...awkward with you looking at me like that," Rainbow said. Fluttershy dropped her stare, growing curious as her Stare definitely works on animals, but why did it work on Garfield? She figured it might work on boys, but that was an experiment she would have to try, even if her social skills were still lacking when it comes to those she doesn't know. Fluttershy waited outside for Garfield, who was slightly annoyed that he was going, but didn't want to incur her visual wrath. As the two got in Fluttershy's car, neither of them noticed someone watching them from a distance through a pair of binoculars. "Looks like Fluttershy convinced him to go after all," Rarity said. Sitting in her car, Applejack and Sunset were the only ones out of the other girls to join the fashionista, Twilight busy working on her experiments, Pinkie working a full shift at Sugarcube Corner, and Rainbow needing to go to school later for practice with one of the many sports teams she's leading this year. "Isn't this kind of like setting them up on a blind date?" Sunset asked. "Not if you think it like that," Rarity assured. "But, a friendly outing could change to a date with the right circumstances." "In other words, a blind date," Applejack said, reiterating Sunset's earlier response. "Ya sure this ain't gonna make Garfield steer away from us? Especially Fluttershy?" "He must be over all the self-drama after all this week. He deserves to have some fun with Fluttershy, and with a little tweaking, maybe get them just a tiny bit closer to where their relationship begins to bud into a flower of romance," Rarity said, slowly getting lost with a wistful gaze. "Are you sure you're not talking about yourself with a guy you really like and not Fluttershy?" Sunset questioned. Ignoring Sunset, Rarity watched Fluttershy's car pull off, following the couple a fair distance away so neither her nor Garfield noticed the trio tailing them. Garfield expected Equestria Land to be a pretty childish theme park based around horses and pony mascots when they arrived. Thankfully, that wasn't so with all the rides they could see as they entered the parking lot. Maybe having fun at a theme park was what he needed, but with Fluttershy around, it was going to make the other patrons think they were out on a date. While partaking in the different games and rides, they still didn't notice Rarity, Sunset, or Applejack watching them from a distance while also having a bit of fun as well. Fluttershy seemed terrified with some of the bigger rides, especially the roller coasters towering a few stories high with dizzying loops and terrifying drops. When they were in the lines for those rides, she had clung onto Garfield, worried about the anticipating start once they got in the cars, but like a switch being flipped once the ride reached its apex and plummeted to the earth, she whooped and hollered along with the other riders. Garfield was a little surprised to see a thrillseeking side to her, but with how timid and quiet as she seemed, who knows just what else Fluttershy wanted to do or liked doing out of bashfulness doing them in front of her friends or fear acting on them without a bit of a nudge. It was strange to see, but it was an interesting fact he noted about the animal lover. The haunted mansion ride, however, scared the living daylights out of her, even with fake bats "screeching and fluttering" over their heads. He was guessing Halloween was going to be dull if Fluttershy didn't like the spooky holiday. While taking a break from some of the rides, they decided on playing some games and win some prizes. Some of them were fun and competitive like spraying water at a target to raise the bar above them first to win, while others were similar to cheap carnival games that were rigged to make patrons spend more money than they should. Those kinds of games involved tossing a ping pong ball into one of several fishbowls with colored rims for a specific prize, throwing darts at inflated balloons with accurate succession, or knocking over metal milk bottles stack up like pyramids off a platform with a couple baseballs. While passing by that kind of booth, the two men working it noticed them, both wearing smirks as they found the perfect couple to swindle their money on. "Hey, you two!" one of them said, getting Fluttershy and Garfield's attention. The two men, to Garfield's surprise, were twins, both with yellow skin and red and white hair, both of them wearing blue and white vertical-striped shirts and white pants. The only difference between them was that one of them had a handlebar mustache while the other was cleanly shaved. "Yes, you, the lovely couple!" "You look like you've got a good throwing arm!" the other man said. "Just knock over one of these small towers of bottles completely off one of these three tables, and you can win one of these stuffed animals!" Hung around the booth were a variety of stuffed animals of various sizes and different colors: wolves, monkeys, butterflies, dolphins, and much more. As much as Garfield loathed someone else mentioning he and Fluttershy were a couple, he ignored them, the smug looks on their faces definitely telling him they had rigged this simple game to suck money out of players while persuaded by their charm. Fluttershy, however, was oblivious to their greedy ploy with all the stuffed animals they could win. "Oh my, so many stuffed animals," she uttered. "Let's give it a try, Garfield." "I don't know. Maybe we shouldn't trust half of this barbershop quartet with a fair game of knocking down a bottle tower," Garfield grumbled. Over by a cotton candy machine, as Rarity, Applejack, and Sunset were having their own fun while spying on Garfield and Fluttershy, Applejack groaned in irritation when she saw them talking with the duo she loathed more than anyone else. "Oh no. Not Flim and Flam." "Flim and Flam?" Sunset repeated. "Weren't those the same two guys who bought your bass Granny Smith accidentally sold?" "And tried swindlin' me out of mah bass after tryin' to give back their money," Applejack added. "...And made me wear that dumb banana suit while promoting their store after provin' it was mine." "Oh no. They're probably going to get suckered in by whatever tricky scheme they have planned while working here," Rarity said worriedly. "So, what do you say?" Flam asked. "Care to give it a go?" Flim added. "Only two bucks for three tries!" "Ok!" Fluttershy went through her wallet and pulled out two dollars, placing them on the counter in exchange for three baseballs. "Knock down one stack off the table, you get a small prize," Flim began explaining. "Two for a medium, and if you can knock all three stacks down with one ball each, you'll get one of the large prizes." Garfield glowered at the two men, finding them suspicious, wondering what cheeky scheme they had going on. Fluttershy stuck out her tongue as she took aim, holding one of the balls firmly in her hand, reared her arm back, and threw. Sadly, she was as meek as she appeared, her throw barely making it halfway from the counter to any of the tables. "Oh dear. Not hard enough," Flam said, his pity tone sounding like he was mocking Fluttershy to get her more frustrated and miss more. "Try throwing just a little bit harder." Fluttershy took that as advice, rarely getting angry, but Garfield didn't want to take that risk after what happened earlier today. She threw the next ball, this time managing to throw it farther, but missed the bottles on the middle table by a few inches. With one last ball, Fluttershy grew serious, leering at the bottle pyramid, determined to win one of those stuffed animals. Her last throw was a little bit harder, and was aimed right at the bottom right bottle. It hit, but for some reason, the stack didn't even wobble or shift even a centimeter. Garfield knew Fluttershy wasn't much for physical activity, but the impact should have at least knocked the bottle and topple the stack over. "Oh. I didn't knock it down," Fluttershy dejectedly mumbled. "Too bad, my dear," Flim said with mock pity. "Care to try again?" "Or would the gentleman watching like to give it a try and win the lovely young lady a prize?" Flam suggested, hoping to swindle who they assumed was Fluttershy's boyfriend. He looked at Fluttershy, who seemed desperate to want one of the stuffed animals. She gave him a pleading look, making him sigh and give in, fishing out his wallet in his pocket and pulling out a few dollars. "Fine, I'll give it a shot," he said, giving Flam the money while Flim laid out his baseballs on the counter. While watching Fluttershy's first throw, it reminded him of Terra's attempt to try and win a prize from this very same game at the now closed down amusement park back home. At least the game was fair back in his world, but he had a gut feeling the two swindlers had rigged this game. Tossing one of the balls in his hand a few times, he gave the stack on the right a throw, purposefully only knocking off the top bottle. That got knocked off and fell to the ground. He then threw his second ball at the left stack, same accurate shot at the top bottle with the same result. With his last ball, he used the same tactic, Flim, Flam, and Fluttershy curiously wondering what he was doing only striking down the top bottles. As Garfield expected, he hit the middle stack's top bottle, hard enough to knock it over, only for the ball to bounce off it instead of fall over like the others. "Well, technically, you're supposed to knock over the whole stack in order to win a prize, not three bottles in total," Flim explained. "Sorry. Better try again." "What was up with that!?" Garfield exclaimed, figuring out their cheap scheme to keep players from winning the bigger stuffed animal prizes. "The others knocked down fine, and I used the same amount of force in my throw for all three of those top bottles! What are the middle ones reinforced from!? An anvil!?" "Maybe you didn't throw it hard enough," Flam guessed smugly, stacking the knocked bottles back on the right and left towers. "Why don't you try again?" Garfield growled, already getting irritated, and the girls watching the couple from a distance can see it. "Alright, then. I'll play again, AND knock them all down." Slamming a couple more dollars on the counter, he glared at the two men as Flim gave him his three shots. "And your unfair game isn't going to stop me from winning a large prize." "Unfair? What an accusation," Flam said. "How can we possibly cheat our clients of their money by a simple game with simple to win prizes?" Flim added. Ignoring their feigned ignorance, Garfield was determined to one-up the scheming twins. Grabbing one ball, he immediately gave it a hard throw at the left stack, scattering the bottles around the booth with the powerful impact. Flim and Flam flinched, protecting themselves as the bottles were sent flying from Garfield's more serious throw. "W-Wow. What an...arm," Flam commented nervously. Garfield's second shot hit true like the first, scattering the bottles on the right stack, startling Flim as one of the bottles almost struck him on the head. Gripping his last ball tightly, Garfield glared at the super glued stack, winding up his arm, then threw with all his might. The ball looked like it was smoking as it sailed over the counter and toward the "tougher" stack. It struck the top bottle, causing the entire table to flip around rapidly as it suddenly jumped from the impact, making Flim and Flam yelp and hide before something broke off from the small platform and struck them. Jaws dropped from Fluttershy, Applejack, Rarity, Sunset, and any other patrons near the booth after hearing the metallic clang and midair tumbling of the cheap pyramid. The table finally hit the ground, the bottles striking the ground hard enough to get peeled off from their welded positions, scattered around with the rest of them. Garfield smirked, crossing his arms smugly, showing the two scammers he wasn't one to be cheated. "Bet you two didn't know this is my best game at any carnival or theme park, huh?" he gloated, relishing the shocked looks on the twins' faces. "Now, I believe the prize for knocking all three stacks was a large prize?" Flim and Flam were too stunned to respond, or even move. Garfield looked over the prizes, helping himself to a large green monkey, seeing how the two men were flabbergasted, dumbstruck, and terrified as their money-grubbing scheme was foiled by a teen with a surprisingly powerful arm. "Thank you, and good day to you gentlemen." Fluttershy blinked, caught off guard by Garfield's throwing arm, only to be snapped out of her daze when he gave her the large stuffed monkey he won. She blushed slightly from the unexpected gift, but she was grateful for the gesture, saving her from wasting too much money on a simple game that had a cheap twist by two swindlers able to sucker her in with the promise of an animal toy prize. Clutching her gift tightly, she and Garfield headed off to get something to eat before enjoying some more rides. "That was...incredible," Sunset uttered. "I didn't know Garfield was that strong." "He didn't show it when he helped carryin' stuff on mah family's farm," Applejack said. "At least he showed Flim and Flam a thing or two." After snapping from her shock, Rarity pulled out a list, crossing off a few things. "Winning a prize for Fluttershy, check. Bonus points for a big stuffed animal. Impressing her with carnival game skills, check," she listed off aloud. "Those two are definitely going to hook up after tonight." "Are you sure that list is supposed to be meant for you and your expectations with a boy, not Fluttershy's?" Sunset questioned. Rarity flinched, only to scoff, refusing to answer and hurried after the couple before losing them in the crowd. "Ah think that was a yes," Applejack said, both her and Sunset laughing at Rarity's reaction before catching up with her. After partaking in some snacks, Garfield and Fluttershy continued their fun in Equestria Land as night settled in. The lights around the park lit up for patrons to see, along with get an impressive view on some of the roller coasters entrances to garner their attention more than in the day. The couple sat on a bench, taking a moment to relax as the theme park's night parade was about to start in a few moments. They basked in the nightly atmosphere, watching the lights and hearing the excited screams of riders all around the park. "This was a really fun day," Fluttershy commented, hugging her stuffed monkey. "Did you enjoy yourself, Garfield?" "Actually, I kinda did," Garfield replied with a grin. At first, he didn't want to go anywhere, but he couldn't deny himself by pretending to have fun after several rides and little games to win prizes. He was slowly enjoying himself, needing this distraction from his nightmares and Terra. "It's been a while since I've gone out to an amusement park. I think I really needed a day out. Thanks." "It's no problem. I'm just glad to see you smiling again," Fluttershy said. The two were still oblivious to Rarity, Sunset, and Applejack watching and hearing them from a distance, making sure that Fluttershy and Garfield didn't get into a harsh argument and, for Rarity, to see them getting together before they left Equestria Land. In the moment of silence, Fluttershy wondered why Garfield had been so upset the past week, and after today, she hopefully might get the answer she needed if he was feeling better. "...Umm, Garfield? Can I ask you something?" "Sure. What is it?" Garfield asked. "...What happened last week that got you so upset?" And just like that, Garfield's smile faded and his fun day was ruined. He looked down, both getting upset and feeling conflicted telling someone else what's gotten him so emotionally distraught. "...I...It's...complicated," he said with a sigh. Fluttershy was a little disappointed, but if it was personal, she wasn't going to pry and keep upsetting him. "Oh," she mumbled. Looking down at the prize he won for her, then back at Garfield, she gently reached her hand out and touched his, making him turn his head to look at her as she gave him an understanding look. "Remember what you told me the other day? When we were held up by that robber?" Garfield slowly nodded his head. "Well, if you have something on your mind, you can tell me about it, too. Whenever you want to, that is." Part of him wanted to remain quiet and promise her he'll tell her, but the sympathetic gaze in her eyes conflicted him internally. It was like that strange glare she made when she forced him to come out here to the theme park today, but it was more calming, almost like a mother calmly asking her child what they did wrong, promising they weren't mad and wanted the truth. Garfield had no idea what was going on with him, but he felt like he needed to take this weight off his chest, letting out a sigh and caved in. "...There was...a girl I liked back home, and...I kinda went through a huge emotional roller coaster with her," he began, surprising Fluttershy and the three spies watching them. "He has a girlfriend already!?" Rarity exclaimed in a hushed tone. "Oh dear, maybe we made a mistake getting them together." "Ya mean you?" Applejack corrected, but Sunset quickly shushed them before they gave away their position. "Oh...So, you're already...?" Fluttershy felt dejected knowing her crush was already seeing someone else. "No, we're...apart," Garfield said. "I don't think we really started dating at all, and...so many things went downhill..." He let out a sigh as memories played back through his mind, forever haunting him. "Her name's Terra, and, unlike other girls I playfully show off for, she was the first who didn't scoff and walk off thinking I was a weirdo." That hope came back when he said they weren't together, but Fluttershy wasn't one to gloat, especially seeing how forlorn Garfield looked, clearly still having feelings for Terra. "What happened to you two to break up? You sound like...you still like her." "...Yeah...I do," Garfield uttered. He had to be careful not revealing everything to Fluttershy, otherwise she would figure out he was the hero shapeshifter, Beast Boy, and his other "normal friends" were superheroes as well. "It all started when I first met her. Terra always moved from place to place, and when she came to Jump City, I fell for her when I first laid eyes on her. She actually found my jokes humorous and we started off as good friends, even hitting it off with my other friends, too...But, she had a secret she didn't want us to know, and she accidentally told me. I did promise to keep her secret from the others, but it turned out one of my friends took a wild guess, and Terra got upset at me, thinking I told the others when I swore I didn't. "She ran away, and I found out she moved away, so I didn't see her again." Fluttershy was shocked, wondering what Terra's secret was, but kept listening as Garfield continued. "A couple months later, she came back, and she wasn't even mad at me for what happened last time. I think she believed I did keep my promise to her and forgave me. She stayed a bit longer this time, and I tried to build up the nerve to ask her out since I was crushing on her bad. When I asked her out, I gave her a heart-shaped box with something I made for her inside. She took it, but didn't give me an answer, which I thought she rejected me until she snuck into my bedroom window and asked if she wanted to go out on a date later." Fluttershy couldn't help but giggle at the irony, asking her out first, only to be left with no response until she asked HIM out. "Why did she delay her answer like that?" "I don't know, but I was excited at least,"Garfield said, but his grin faded as the worst part of their true breakup was coming up. "We snuck out and went to places she liked to visit when she moved to Jump City, then went to an amusement park, which is unfortunately closed down due to...technical difficulties." Those "technical difficulties" ended up being his fault when he fought Slade, who had been following them on their date, destroying several of the attractions in the process. "...When we went into the mirror funhouse there...her...dad caught us, and told me Terra didn't really care about me and was just using me to get away from her family. He knew about me and my friends, and...I didn't believe him about what he said about her..." Fluttershy prayed this story didn't end sadly, but the look on Garfield's face and shaky voice said otherwise. "...Terra...admitted she didn't like me...I was upset at her, and she moved away the next day, leaving me brokenhearted and betrayed." "Oh my...I'm so sorry," Fluttershy said sympathetically. "It didn't end there, though," Garfield continued, startling Fluttershy, dreading to hear what else happened if their first breakup was that awful, but she had no idea how terrible it really was. "She moved back some time later, and she was the worst person I ever had to deal with. I still loved her, and anytime we saw each other, we'd get into a fight. She even argued with my friends, and sometimes...it ended with us getting hurt by her physically, not just emotionally." Fluttershy gasped in shock, appalled by Terra's violent outbursts. "...It wasn't her fault, though. Her father was part of the military, which explained why she moved around so much, and he's always been strict with her about who she hangs out with...Deep down, I knew she cared, but her dad was a horrible influence and began turning her into something she wasn't. "I confronted her what felt like the last time, begging her to not let her father control everything in her life. I could tell she didn't, and after enough encouraging from me, she told her dad off...Sadly, they moved again, but for good, her dad promising they were never coming back to Jump City again after Terra was horribly influenced by a pointy-eared dwarf forcing her daughter to act like a delinquent." He may have overexaggerated Terra's "father" and what he did to her, but it sounded safer than Terra using her geokinetic powers to throw Slade into a pool of lava underneath the city. Fluttershy was still in shock, but he was sure she'd faint after hearing the truth behind that fight. "Before we were split apart again...Terra hugged me and said...I was the best friend she ever had." Fluttershy began to tear up from such a sad end to their relationship, even Rarity, Sunset, and Applejack shed tears after hearing the heartwrenching goodbye Garfield made with Terra. "...Did you...try to keep in touch?" Fluttershy asked while wiping away her tears. "We...had no way of communicating with each other after that," Garfield said. "But, several months later, after my friends and I took a trip outside of the city, when we came back, I saw Terra again." "Huh!? S-She came back!?" Fluttershy exclaimed. "I thought you said her father wouldn't move back to your old home!" "I don't know. I have no clue why or how she came back, but I was happy to see her again...Too bad it was short-lived," Garfield uttered. "She forgot who me or my friends were, even after I tried jogging her memory. Instead of helping her remember, I only made our relationship worse and worse until she kept avoiding me, saying she's not the girl I thought she was. I don't know if she really was Terra anymore, or if it was some other girl who looked exactly like her, but I was desperate to get her back, and it just kept tearing what I tried to salvage in our relationship apart. I ran into her father, yelling at him for what he did to her, but all he said was that she forgot about him and moved on, and suggested I do the same...but I couldn't..." Tears welled up in his eyes as he buried his face in his hands, his voice cracking as the disheartening end to their friendship and barely budding romantic relationship replayed in his head. "...I tried one last time...but she said the same thing her father said...I stopped trying after that, but...I still can't let go of her, even after moving here... "I'll never forget her...I still love her, but...it's hard to let go of someone you love that much..." Garfield struggled to regain his composure, not wanting to break down in front of Fluttershy. He felt her gently rub his back, encouraging him to let it all out, and it did help calm him down a little. Taking in a deep breath, he let out a heavy sigh, rubbed his eyes, then looked at Fluttershy. "I was doing fine for a while, but when you asked me out, it reminded me of everything I went through with Terra...I'm also sorry I was avoiding you and the others. I tried coping by being alone, but I guess it got worse with the nightmares I've been having..." Fluttershy scooted closer to Garfield, placing her stuffed monkey down on the other side of the bench, and surprised the teen with a hug. "I understand, Garfield," Fluttershy assured. "I'm sorry you had to go through all that much of someone you cared about." Garfield took the friendly gesture, smiling a little and hugged Fluttershy back, feeling a little better. "Heh. You have no idea what else I went through," he said, then pulled away. "Want to know more?" "No, I think that's enough for now," Fluttershy said. They heard music coming down the road, the parade already starting as they watched everyone rushing over to see it up close on the path they take around the park. "The parade's about to start. Want to watch it before we end the night?" "Yeah," Garfield said, the two getting up and gathering their stuff before making their way to join the crowd and watch the light parade. Their night ended, exhausted, but they had a lot of fun as Fluttershy drove back to her place. "Are you sure you don't want me to drop you off at Rainbow's first?" Fluttershy asked. "It's fine. I need to clear my had after all the fun we had today with a nightly walk," Garfield said, clearly fine with walking back. After Fluttershy parked her in her home's driveway, the two got out, Garfield taking out Fluttershy's new stuffed monkey from the car and handing it to her. "I still can't believe you won this for me," Fluttershy said sheepishly. "I figured you'd want a big prize after showing those two jerks I wasn't monkeying around with their get-rich-quick scheme," Garfield said, joking around by making monkey noises and got Fluttershy to laugh. "But this was fun. Thanks for taking me. Even if it was by force." "You're welcome," she said. "I had a great time too. Even on those scary roller coasters." "And yet you're frightened by the haunted house. Can you make up your mind with what you're scared of?" Garfield teased, earning a nudge on the shoulder while he chuckled at Fluttershy's reaction. A little ways away from Fluttershy's house, Rarity, Applejack, and Sunset continued spying on them, watching them interact as they talked about their day at the amusement park. The couple went silent, a slight bit of awkward tension hanging in the air before Garfield broke it. "So...we still good? Even after I acted like a movie superhero who broods about his miserable upbringing or losses?" "Of course. I wouldn't want to give up my friendship with you, even if we get split apart like with you and Terra." Despite bringing Terra up, Garfield was relieved knowing he wasn't going to lose his friends in this world for hiding from his past, or rather the white lies in his past he mentioned. "Ok, cool. And I'll make it up to everyone with an apology feast at Sugarcube Corner tomorrow morning. My treat!" he said, though he looked around after a moment of silence. "What is it?" Fluttershy asked curiously. "...I had a strange feeling I was expecting Pinkie Pie to show up randomly and go nuts when someone mentions a party of any kind." Garfields answer made Fluttershy giggle. "Knowing her, I was thinking the same thing," she agreed as they both shared a small laugh. "Well, I guess I'll see you tomorrow morning." Garfield moved in and hugged Fluttershy, who hugged him back while still holding her new toy in one arm. Just as he pulled away and was about to wish her a good night, Fluttershy let go of the monkey and raised her hands up, gently cupping his cheeks. "Uhh, Flutter-?" She moved closer, silencing the teen with a surprised squeak as she gave him a soft peck on the lips. Garfield stared wide-eyed, his first ever kiss taken by Fluttershy, barely coming close with Terra before Slade interrupted their moment and spread more drama in their relationship. Inside Rarity's car, the trio's jaws dropped while Rarity let out a squeal, anxious to see what happens after this sudden move Fluttershy pulled. As soon as she pulled away, Fluttershy realized what she did on impulse, blushing heavily and backing away from the dazed shapeshifter, his whole face turning a shade of red when his brain tried to reboot from the shock of his first kiss. "U-Umm...G-Good night, G-Garfield," she stammered, quickly picking up her stuffed monkey and fast-walked inside her home. Garfield finally moved, slowly turning out of the driveway and down the road to Rainbow's house, his legs on autopilot as his brain was scattered by the whirlwind of emotions from that kiss. He didn't blame her for doing that, but it still left him surprised. But the nightmare he had last night conflicted him just as much as Fluttershy's way of saying goodbye for the evening. Fluttershy was nice, but he saw her as a friend, but after working alongside her in the shelter, getting to know about her, and even their day at Equestria Land today, that small peck on the lips sparked something he thought he would never be able to feel again after losing Terra. His shocked expression began to melt, his lips curling into a smile and his heart beginning to race. "...Wow...I didn't think Fluttershy was going to do that," Sunset uttered. "But it seems like Garfield's a bit...ok with that." "Well, of course he is! That's a look that says, 'I'm in love!'" Rarity reasoned, then looked back at Sunset with a sly grin. "Maybe I should try helping you get back together with Flash Sentry. You did say he wanted to hang out with you some more back at Camp Everfree." "As friends, not lovers," Sunset scolded. "It would just be weird going out with someone I used to be popular while turning into the school bully." "Then I'll see if Princess Twilight has any free time to go on a date with him. Assuming she comes by and visits again," Rarity said. "There's a Flash Sentry in Equestria, too, Rarity," Sunset argued irritably. "Alternate universes, ponies similar to the human counterparts in this world." "Can't we just say it was a successful night and drop us off, Rarity?" Applejack questioned. "Ah gotta get up early to do chores." Garfield continued walking in a lovestruck daze, passing the bickering girls he still didn't notice, reaching Rainbow's house and walked inside. Rainbow was watching a Daring Do movie when she heard him walk in. "Hey, how was it, Garf?" Rainbow asked. "...It was...awesome," Garfield sighed, ignoring the odd look Rainbow gave him in his lovesick state, heading upstairs to his room. He tripped over Tank, barely feeling anything but ecstasy as he got back up, patting the tortoise's shell before walking in his room and closing the door. He flopped on his bed, a dopey grin on his face while staring at the ceiling. His ecstatic high began to fade as Terra came back to mind. His heart still had feelings for her, but with no chance of ever getting back together with her now, he realized that there might never be a chance for him to return home, or even attempt to rekindle what lost relationship he had with Terra. Pulling out his phone, Garfield flipped through a few pictures he took with it, most of them being silly with Fluttershy and the animals at the shelter. He may not have known Fluttershy as long as he had with Terra, but they had several things in common, and after tonight, his heart feels mended as he seemed to have found new love. He really did worry about Fluttershy when she and the other girls were almost robbed, along with the random Equestrian portals bringing creatures through and Control Freak's attack with the looming threat of more villains from his world. His thoughts were interrupted when his phone buzzed, getting a text from Fluttershy out of the blue. Umm, sorry about...earlier. I kinda...I didn't know what I...Please don't hate me. Instead of texting back, he grinned and called her to give his response when she answered. "Hello?" "You know, a couple's supposed to kiss on the third date, right?" Garfield teased, hearing Fluttershy squeak through the line. "I-I'm sorry. I...I really don't know what came over me," she mumbled. "...I gave you my first kiss..." "Well, you stole my first kiss, so I guess that makes us even," he said, practically hearing her shaking through the speaker. "You did catch me off guard with that, though, but I'm nowhere near mad." "Oh, ok," Fluttershy said. "Anyway, about you asking me out last week," he added, pausing a little to build up some suspense. "Give me a little time to think about it...but I'm asking you out first. Deal?" He heard Fluttershy let out a high-pitched squeak, then the phone dropping on what he assumed was her bed, taking that as a yes.