//------------------------------// // Chapter 15 // Story: Welcome the Unknown // by Equestria Buck Yeah //------------------------------// Their visit with Zecora was more brief than the unicorn would have liked it to be. Twilight was hoping to spend a few hours there chatting with the zebra about her goings on and if life was treating her okay. Matt's recent behavior with the cockatrice left her uneasy, however. Even though Zecora had given no indication that she had heard anything, she could tell something was bothering the pair. She felt it best not to pry, though. If something was eating at them, they would talk about it on their own terms. After acquiring the herbs and potions she needed, as well as having Zecora treat and bandage Matt's wounds, she decided it best to cut the small talk short and head home early. Matt had been exceptionally quiet, even while getting the lacerations dressed, save for a polite thanks. His perpetual scowl even unnerved the normally collected zebra a bit. The walk back through the forest was no different. "Matt, what is it? Ever since you scared off the cockatrice, you've barely said four words." He shrugged and made up an excuse. "I'm always pretty irritable the next day if I sleep like shit. I'm sure I'll be fine if I head to bed early tonight." He chuckled to himself, "You don't happen to have sleeping pills here, do you?" "I'm sure they have medicines at the hospital that would put you to sleep, but you probably need them to prescribe them for you," Twilight said. "Zecora probably could brew up something if you want to go back. I doubt she'd mind." Matt shook his head and waved off the idea. "She talks funny. Not in the mood to play guessing games trying to figure out what she's getting at. She is nice, yeah, just..." The unicorn half-smiled. "The rhyming can take some getting used to, I suppose. How's your arm?" Matt nodded and rubbed the bandages. "Good. What do you say we go get some lunch when we get back to town? My treat. Anything in particular you want?" Matt looked to his right into the thick brush, intently listening for anything that may be lurking in the shadows. "Chicken wings." ----- The pair settled for one of the more leisurely diners near Town Square. Matt still garnered a lot of attention wherever he went for obvious reasons and tried to be as polite as his mood would allow him. He told those who asked about his arm that he scratched it up pretty badly on some bushes while heading to Zecora's. It was close enough to the truth that he didn't have to worry about constantly making sure he was saying the same thing to everypony. "So, Matt, why don't you tell me what's really bothering you? And don't give me that sleep excuse. I'm no foal, y'know," Twilight said bluntly. "I still remember the last time you lost it like that." He had been fairly quiet at lunch too. Save for saying hello to ponies here and there, most of his time had been spent staring at a wall lost in thought but not oblivious to Twilight's question. She patiently waited for Matt to form an answer, making sure not to pressure him and possibly set him off again. "Probably just the same stuff as before," he said dismissively. "Rarity suggested I read the local paper and see what else goes on in Equestria. Try and get a better understanding of your culture and stuff. You know something I've noticed? Nothing ever happens anywhere else. Ponyville seems to be a magnet for insanity." "I'm sure plenty of insanity happens in other places. We told you about what happened in Appleloosa a couple years ago. They probably just don't report events like that to try and keep the peace. You of all pon...err, people...should know how influential the media can be," Twilight explained. He grinned slightly at the notion. "Funny how back home that insanity is what sold papers instead of the good news. It's almost like the only reason the Ursa was in the paper was because a 'mystery creature' was involved with it, if what you say is true." He looked down at his fruit dish and shook his head. "You know what I'd give for a big, juicy steak right now? You think anyone would freak out if I went out hunting and dragged a fresh boar or something back through town? Fire up the grill!" he half joked, trying to changing the subject. Twilight stifled a chuckle. "I think a few ponies would be a little scared, yes. Some of them would probably think they'd be next on the menu. It's probably a good thing only our friends know about that for now." She saw through the pleasant mask he was trying to wear and gazed at him sadly. "I wish there was a way for me to fix things for you, Matt. I remember coming here a few years ago from Canterlot and I was told to make some friends. I was sure I was going to be miserable in this new place, but it's been the best experience of my life." "It's not quite the same, y'know." "I know it's a lot different for you," Twilight continued. "You're the only one of your kind here. We don't have the technology you do. Different diets, different ways of life, and I don't expect you to forget your home. I just hope you realize that, even if you were never supposed to be here, you've made a difference in our lives, and we wouldn't change that for anything in Equestria." She reached across the table and laid her hoof on his hand. Her smile was as warm as the morning sun. He looked up and got lost for a moment in her eyes. "I'm not going to kiss you if that's what you're going for." "Oh, shut up!" She giggled and magically tossed her napkin in his face. "I think you watched too many movies back home." Matt glanced away trying to hide his mild embarrassment. "Can thank my girlfriend for that." "Hello, Twilight. Hello, Matt," said a familiar voice. They looked up and saw Fluttershy descending beside them. "Oh, hey Fluttershy!" Twilight said. "What's going on?" "Just heading to the market to get some–" She gasped upon seeing Matt's injuries, "Oh my, what happened to your arm? Are you okay?" He nodded and smirked knowingly, "Just had a run-in with a...what was it? A cockatrice?" The word alone sent a shiver down her spine. Finding Twilight laying on the ground frozen in stone very nearly traumatized the timid pegasus. "Oh goodness, what happened? Are you alright? How'd you get away?" "We didn't. It got in my face, I grabbed it around its throat, it struggled to get free–" "Wait, you what?" Fluttershy asked, mortified at the implications. "Why would you do something like that? I know a cockatrice is dangerous, but it's still a living creature! You could have hurt it or worse! There are better ways to resolve something like that!" Matt couldn't believe what Fluttershy was saying and raised his voice. "What, are you saying you rather it turned us to stone? The hell's wrong with you?" His loudness was beginning to garner the attention of the others around him. Fluttershy flew up a few feet and peered at him angrily. "I didn't have to resort to trying to strangle it to fight it off when it attacked me and the Crusaders some time ago!" He stood up and met her eye to eye, suddenly furious that she seemed to care more about some mutant chicken than her friends. "Well, good for you!" he snapped. "Funny, you didn't seem to care when I killed that Ursa! Should I have sat it down and invited it over for tea instead?" "That was about to destroy the whole town and is a little bit bigger than a cockatrice!" "And I still got my point across to that little bastard!" "Maybe you'd like to see how I get my point across!" "Try me," he growled. A purple glow surrounded their heads and separated them. "Guys! Calm down! Why are you jumping down each others' throats?! Can't we talk about this rationally?" Twilight pleaded. The two glared flaming daggers at each other, gritting their teeth and refusing to back down. After a tense moment, Fluttershy huffed and snubbed her nose at Matt. "I am being rational, Twilight," she firmly stated. "Oh, get over yourself," Matt muttered. Fluttershy ignored the insult and turned back toward the marketplace. "Twilight, I'll see you later," she said calmly before getting back in Matt's face. "And don't you come near my cottage or my animal friends again. Understood?" "Whatever." The pegasus flew off to continue her shopping. Their outburst attracted the nervous stares of everypony in the area. Matt had never gotten angry with anypony since his existence was made public. Murmurs and questions quietly echoed among the populace nearby. Twilight stared in shock at what just transpired between two of her closest friends. He continued to stare at Fluttershy as she headed back to her business and until she was out of sight. Matt grabbed his pack and began to leave. "Where are you going?" He paused and turned back. "Gonna go drop this off at your place and go home. Wonderful day this turned out to be." Matt got a few steps away before Twilight called for the check. He was a third of the way to the library before she finally finished paying. She had tried to spot Fluttershy from the diner so she could go reason with her, but the pegasus was nowhere to be found. She sighed and sprinted after Matt, catching up with him after a few moments. She lifted a hoof to try and reason with him when she found him but decided against bringing up the fight again. ----- The awkward silence on the last half of their trek back to the library was deafening. The anger painted on his face made the ponies they walked past step out of the way, unsure as to what was going on. Twilight's heart sunk since she felt that everything she said to Matt at lunch had been thrown out the window in a matter of seconds. He threw open the library door, startling Spike from an after-lunch nap. He rolled over and rubbed his eyes. Glancing over the balcony where he slept, he greeted his friends, but Twilight silently shook her head at him. The baby dragon saw how upset she was but followed her unspoken advice and kept quiet. After setting the potions he was carrying on the kitchen table, he tossed his pack onto the floor and marched toward the door. "See you later, Twilight. Spike." He didn't bother to wait for a reply and left. Twilight hung her head slightly once she heard the door shut. She removed the contents from her saddlebag all at once and laid them beside the supplies Matt brought in. She quickly decided to follow after him. Spike watched her leave and rolled back onto his bed. He silently tried to figure out what happened but ended up feeling down when he just couldn't come up with an answer. ----- Matt reached his home with his purple friend right behind him. He knew she was following but didn't mind that she wanted to tag along. She wasn't to blame for the mess earlier. He was actually starting to get over the doldrums he was in at lunch before Fluttershy came along. He had Twilight to thank for that, and it wasn't a surprise that she wanted to help him again. He grabbed the doorknob and took a step inside before pausing to nod Twilight inside as well. The living room wasn't terribly spacious, but he didn't have many possessions anyway. Up against the largest wall was a couch in front of a coffee table, and to the sides of the table sat a pair of matching chairs. A half empty bookcase with a small plant was directly across from the couch on the other side of the room, and by the front window was a small desk with various papers strewn across it. Matt plopped himself onto the couch, stretched his arms out across the top and put his feet up. Twilight sat on one of the chairs and finally broke the ice after a few minutes of silence. "I'm sorry about what happened at lunch, Matt," she said regretfully. "Why? You didn't do anything." "No, but there wasn't any reason for either of you to fight like that. I know she wasn't aware that you were miserable earlier, and that was no excuse for her to yell at you, but you know better too," she remarked gently. "You know how she is with animals. But you also know how much she cares about you, just like the rest of us. She refused to leave your side when we pulled you out of that Ursa's mouth for any reason, and I don't know if you were aware enough to remember, but she even held onto you like you were her own while you recovered in that field. Nopony wanted to lose you, but I can't imagine what it would have done to her if something happened," Twilight argued. Listening to Twilight speak on behalf of her friend started to make him feel guilty. Matt had stopped by her cottage from time to time after he had stopped hiding, and he had seen how caring she was to that ungrateful little bunny of hers of all creatures, even when they bickered. He never understood why she would be sweet to the annoying rodent after how it would treat her, but he never suggested to Fluttershy that she get a little angry with Angel and put him in his place. He sometimes wondered as he watched them if something happened to her when she was young to make her be this way but he would never pry. It wasn't any of his business. "I just don't get why–" A quiet knock at the door interrupted him. He suspected he knew who that was. "Come in, it's open." The door creaked open and a yellow pegasus cautiously crept inside and shut the door behind her quietly. She tried but ultimately couldn't make eye contact with either of them. Matt was having a hard time looking directly at her as well. "Hello, Twilight. H-hello, Matt," Fluttershy whimpered. She sounded like she was about to burst into tears at any moment, even though she only said four words. Matt subtly nodded as she flew up onto the chair opposite Twilight. A desire to say something permeated the air but no words came for a couple minutes. The unicorn was the first to break the awkward silence again. "You got your shopping done pretty quick, Fluttershy. Did you get everything you needed?" It had only been about twenty minutes since they fought, but considering how far from Town Square Fluttershy's cottage is, the only way she would have been able to finish her chore and get everything back home was if she raced around the market as if Rainbow Dash was on her tail. "I...didn't get any shopping done. After I left, I just...I started thinking about–" "I'm sorry, Fluttershy," Matt said solemnly. The girls were taken a bit off-guard by his action. He wasn't the first to show any anger towards the other when things started to go downhill. "I shouldn't have acted like an asshole to you. I just didn't really know what else to do to protect Twilight at the time. That thing was rather loud in my ear, too." He felt it was probably best if he took the initiative the way he did and hoped that his little quip could lighten the mood a bit. While no one was really to blame for the argument, Fluttershy would undoubtedly feel responsible, given her nature. Perhaps this way, they could ease things along a little better. "Oh, um, that's okay, Matt. I-I guess as long as everypony turned out alright, there isn't any real reason to get upset," she admitted. "I've heard ponies tell me that my stare can be...kind of scary when I've had to use it." She rubbed a leg, almost embarrassed at the idea that somepony as meek as her could ever be considered scary. Memories of what happened at the Grand Galloping Gala resurfaced, almost to remind her of what happened what she could be like at her lowest point. What was worse, she had taken her rage out on the critters that she claimed to care about. It was almost appropriate that the events came to mind. "You haven't seen me on a real bad day yet," he mumbled. Fluttershy scrunched her head into her shoulders. It even made Twilight take notice. "Not even when you yelled at Rarity that one time?" the unicorn asked. Matt shook his head. "Back home, I'm kind of surprised they never tossed me away when I did lose it," he stated. He immediately regretted admitting such a thing. If he wanted to help the girls relax, particularly the shy pegasus, he wasn't going to saying stuff like that. He mentally slapped himself and apologized again. "I don't know why you would be. You may have gotten angry, but, well...you're still a good pony...err, person. We've all been angry from time to time, though I don't really like it when I am," Fluttershy said. Matt met Fluttershy's eyes for the first time since she entered his home. He motioned her over to the couch and patted the seat next to him. She sat down next to him, unsure what to expect. He laid his arm over her neck and scratched her head through her thick mane. She nuzzled up next to him and smiled sweetly. His fingers were very relaxing and broke the tension in the air. "Tell you what. Someone makes you upset, they answer to me. Fair enough?" Matt asked. "Fair enough." Twilight joined in, seeing how the pair appeared to have settled their differences. "What if you upset her, Matt? What then?" she asked lightheartedly. "That's why we have you! I'll just have you magic me to death or something." "I'm not really a fighter. I could talk to Applejack or Rainbow Dash if you want, have them buck you upside the head," she kidded. "That could work. I am thick in the head, so..." His pony friends giggled at his self-depreciation. As the group sat and enjoyed each others' company without unease again, it began to rain outside. Twilight and Fluttershy looked at each in confusion. "That's weird. It wasn't supposed to rain today, was it?" the unicorn asked. "I don't think so. Maybe there was a last minute schedule change?" Fluttershy explained, "I couldn't imagine so. The Cloudsdale weather team is supposed to adhere to a pretty strict schedule." They glanced over at the window. Matt got up and walked over to take a closer look. Aside from an unscheduled downpour, something else seemed a bit off. "Why is the rain...brown?"