//------------------------------// // Marmalade Brigade // Story: My Little Heartbreak: More With a Kind Word and a Hard Hoof // by Jet_Black1980 //------------------------------// Chapter 21: Marmalade Brigade "Number one... Or number two?" The stallion with the thick, coke-bottle glasses says as the word "APPLE" flickers between two states of blurry and slightly less-than-blurry. "Better... or worse?" "The second is better..." I reply, forcing myself not to yawn at the tedium of having my vision checked. I'm not sure which is worse: doing this or when mom and dad would give me a haircut at home, all the while arguing and fidgeting over whether or not my sideburns were even. "Alright," Doctor 'Rodsncones' hmms, before flicking another lense lever, causing the words' edges to crisp up and come into sharp relief. "How about now?" "Better. Much better." "Good... Good..." he says, with all the empathy of a scientist checking in lab mice to see what kind of cancer they're developing. "Just... one more lense, I promise. Then we can write your prescription and you can pick up your glasses at the front counter with Iris." "Great," I reply, attempting to hide my disdain for the other glances he keeps shooting my way... Wait, is he shooting glances at me? With those massive googly eyes it's really hard to tell. "Tell me again, why couldn't this be done with magic?" "Well," Fluttershy's calming voice interjects itself. "From what I understand, eyes are very delicate and could be very easily damaged. Right, Doctor Rodsncones?" "Huh? O-oh, hem, yes, yes," he says, his head bobbing just out of the corner of my eye. "That's the short of it. That and we can't have our patient’s orbs suddenly getting turned into frogs or seeing nightmarish horrors from beyond!" "Ah..." Yeah, and thus far just 'magicking' the situation hasn't really solved anything, now has it, H.B.? Or have you forgotten Creativi-tea? "Last thing we'd want to do is cause harm to such beautiful sparkling globes like yours, Miss Heartbreak..." he says with all the charm of a slug. "H.B..." I practically feel the snarl in my voice working its way out to my face before I see Fluttershy's meek, yet disapproving glance. Guess it's time to repeat what has become my mantra when dealing with any new pony... or other being. "My name's Heartbreak, but I like to be called H.B... please." I add for good measure. "O-oh," he stammers, adjusting his glasses. "Sorry, I didn't know." "It's ok." Comes the near involuntary irritated response. Is it so much to ask that any interaction with a stallion in their profession have some level of... professionalism? Alright, that's hardly fair; Goodfilly isn't a stallion. At least I don't think they are. "So!" He taps on the 'viewing portal' on whatever this optometrist device is called. "Last test? I have to make sure that I get your prescription right!" "Yeah," I reply as neutrally as I can. "Let's get it over with." ========= "It was only a compliment, I'm sure he didn't mean anything by it, H.B." Fluttershy said as the two ponies exited the examination room and into The Focal Point's waiting area. "It was an unwanted complement, Fluttershy, " Heartbreak grumbled. "I mean, yeah, I get that his job is to look at ponies’ eyes, but there wasn't any reason for a comment like that... it was just a bit too much." "O-oh, I-I suppose that you're right..." Fluttershy meekly replied. "I'm sorry." Heartbreak sighed before stopping at a small office-like area. "You shouldn't be the one apologizing here..." she said turning her head awkwardly and attempting to pull a piece of paper from her saddlebags. Fluttershy pulled back a little, tucking her wings to her sides after they ruffled a bit. "I-I'm not? Sorry..." "It's fine, Fluttershy, " Heartbreak said, spitting the barely legible prescription onto the counter for the mare to sit there and look at. "Don't worry about it.'' she looked back at the receptionist and narrowed her eyes at the name tag. "Iris, I presume?" The goldenrod coloured unicorn with a highly stylized crimson red mane looked up and over her inverted triangle glasses.  "Yeah, sweetheart?" She asked in a rough Manehatten accent, pausing from the task of filing her hooves. "Heartbreak," the tan pony said, flinching at the strange mix of gravelly and nasally. "My name is Heartbreak, but please call me H.B., if you'd please." Iris raised an eyebrow before taking the prescription, her long, isosceles gold triangle earrings swaying as she tossed her mane a little. "I calls everypony sweetheart. You knows what frames yous wantin', sweet-" "H.B.," Heartbreak interjected, holding up a hoof to halt the completion of the word. "Please," she added. "If you insist," Iris said, shrugging her shoulders while blowing a bubble out of the gum she had been chewing. "Still, you knows what frames yous wantin', H.B.?" "Thank you," Heartbreak said. "Uhm, yes. The black found pair with the croakie that turns invisible and a round purple pair whose croakie does the same thing..." "Alrighty then!" Iris said, a pen lowering in the air, writing the requested frames alongside the prescription. "Our tech, Doctor Mirror Finish should have your glasses done in about forty minutes if yous two wanna either stays a while or pop over ta one of them shops for a quick bite." "Do you want to do that?" Fluttershy asked, looking at Heartbreak. "Have a quick bite to eat that is." Heartbreak shook her head. "Nah, I'm still plenty full from the breakfast you made me, Flutters. Which, did I thank you for that? Cause it was pretty good." "Y-yes, you did," Fluttershy said, a noticeable rose tint adorning her normally yellow cheeks. "Well, I'm going to say it again," Heartbreak said, matter of factly. "Thank you for a really nice breakfast." "Ooooh..." Iris cooed. Heartbreak suddenly became uncomfortably aware of Iris’ prying eyes as she leaned forward, looking at the two mares expectantly. Another pink bubble popped to break the silence. “Don’t mind me...” She said, a teasing grin on her face. “Only forty minutes?” Heartbreak asked. Iris nodded before zapping the paper away.”That’s not too long of a wait... and it’s not like we have anywhere urgent to be, right?” Fluttershy gave a pensive glance to the clock on the hallway wall. It read eight-forty. “Well, Applejack did say ‘bright and early.’” “But... did she give an exact time?” Heartbreak asked, giving a motion with her nose that said she wanted to continue walking. “I suppose not...” Fluttershy replied (particular emotion here) before following Heartbreak as she approached the corner. “Then we’ll get there when we get there.” Heartbreak reasoned. “And if we are ‘running late’, we can send A.J. a message... uhm... Somehow.” She said, pausing and grimacing over a stray thought. “But really, Sweet Apple Acres isn’t all that far away. This wait will be a breeze.” No sooner had Heartbreak finished speaking and turned the corner, ear pinned back and her face twisted at a near sonic sounding scream of two colts squabbling! “Tick! Tock! Settle down! Don’t make me send a scroll to your mother about your behavior!” Scolded a familiar sounding voice. “Pepper Pocket?” Heartbreak asked, once she had taken a moment to process who the bespeckled, black maned stallion with the silvery eyes sat between two colts; one who looked to be a bit tall was brass with a brown mane and a short one was brown with a brass mane.. “Miss-Er-I mean-Heart-Uhm-H.B.! Tick! Please sit down!” He stammered between attempts to get the two rambunctious colts to settle. Fluttershy, seeing that Pepper Pocket had quite the hoof full with his boys, walked past Heartbreak and bent her head down to look the two in the eyes. And in her sweetest voice asked “Would the both of you mind sitting down quietly? H.B. and I are going to be waiting for her glasses and we’d really appreciate it...” Tick and Tock’s faces transitioned to startled shock and confusion to sheepish and blushing as they looked away muttering “Yes, Miss Fluttershy.” in unison before settling down on either side of their father. “Thank you,” Fluttershy said, before sitting on the far left side of the waiting room bench, but just as she was getting comfortable, a sensation that caused her face to twist came over her. “Oh dear...” “Something wrong there, Flutters?” Heartbreak asked, a touch concerned at the sudden shift in demeanor.  “Oh, well...” Fluttershy shifted in her seat. “It’s just... I think I might need to, uhm...” Her eyes glanced back and forth between Heartbreak and a sign just down the way that denoted the public restrooms. “Oh, right then. Ok.” Heartbreak replied after she got what Fluttershy was hinting at. “I’ll be right back...” Fluttershy said quietly before trotting a little briskly to the place where relief could be found. “I’m sorry!” “It’s fine!” Heartbreak called out, slipping off her saddlebags under the bench before sitting down on its far right side. “And no rush! Take your time!” After the squeaking of the door could be heard down that hallway and around a corner she gave the trio sitting next to her an uncomfortable smile and a small laugh, before giving Pepper an uneasy glance. Pepper Pocket chuckled. “Sorry about all the hullabaloo here, these two are all wound up because their mother, Jewel Movement, let them have their favorite sugar blasted cereal- ‘Golden Hayflakes’- this morning. Right before their annual eye exams too! But you know, foals will be foals!” Heartbreak once again replied with another uncomfortable half chuckle. “Y-yeah. I suppose so...” “Well, I suppose that it’s been some time since last we saw each other, hasn’t it?” Pepper asked, rubbing the side of his head. Heartbreak gave yet another awkward chuckle. “Yeah. I suppose it has been... a while, that is.” “Uhm, So! How have you been, since that day, that is?” The spotty stallion asked, leaning forward. “And how is the device I made you functioning?” “I’ve been alright...” Heartbreak replied, looking down at her back hooves that were hanging over the edge of the waiting room bench. “Lots of things have happened...” She kicked them back and forth a little. “The ‘device’ is awesome, although it buzzes a bit when I slip it in.” “Slip it in?” Pepper asked, a bewilderment on his face until Heartbreak held up her right hoof. “Oh! Yes! Your...” “Hole.” Heartbreak interrupted a placid expression on her face. “Speaking of which, it’s a lucky coincidence running into you!” “Oh?” He asked, adjusting his glasses. “Yeah, see, I was hoping that I could commission you into designing a... plug of sorts.” She said, rolling her hoof and looking away. “Ya know, for when I’m not using the ‘device’? And to, ya know, keep stuff out?” “That actually sound like a really good ide-” “Hi! My name is Tick!” Interrupted the brass colt with the chestnut brown mane right next to her. “How do you know our daddy?” he asked, leaning uncomfortably close, his dark blue eyes wide and sparkly with inquisitiveness. Heartbreak pulled back and gave a small awkward chorkle before looking away while rubbing the side of her head. “Hi...uhm... Heh, that’s a complicated question.” “Tock...” Pepper said in a parental tone. “We had this talk about introducing yourself as your brother...” ‘Tock’ jolted in his seat as his father spoiled the ‘prank’ that he was attempting. “Awww...” “Way to ruin the fun, dad.” The brown colt with the brass mane and green eyes grumbled. “You must be ‘Tick’ then?” Heartbreak asked. “Yup!” He beamed, just then, the smile left his face and his head tilted in confusion with mild recognition. “Have I seen you before?” Tick asked. “I don’t think so?” Heartbreak said. Tick’s eyes lit up. “April Foals Day!” he exclaimed, to which he was met only with baffled looks. He leaned over his father to talk to his brother. “Remember months ago when those two ponies rushed into our house, singing something, one of them picked up my pet mouse, Hickory!” “Oh yeah... Dock was acting really strange now that you mention it...” Tock said tapping his chin. “So!” Heartbreak interrupted. “You two are... twins?” She asked, looking at Pepper in a hard pleading desperation to change the subject. “I heard somewhere that they were twins...” “Fraternal twins,” Pepper said, his face lit with some minor confusion. “But yes. As I said before, they can be a hoof full.” He laughed. “So much so, that Jewel asked if I could watch them while she unwinds at the spa.” He chuckled awkwardly. “Which I don’t mind doing seeing that I love my boys!” “Yeaaah,” Heartbreak eyed Pepper questioningly. “You sound... stressed. You're not overworking yourself again, are you? ‘Cause my plug request can wait...” Pepper waved a hoof dismissively. “No more than usual, I mean-” “Dad works a lot.” Tick toned, staring at the floor. “Tick, is isn’t polite to interrupt-” “It’s true,” Tock interjected. “You do work a lot.” “Well,” Pepper began, wrapping his forehooves around the two sullen boys. “There’s no need for you two to be at Seven-Twenty, because when the assistant from Appleoosa arrives- oh, cogs and gear wheels- what was their name again?” “Sprocket-” Tick said. “Watchclock!” Tock finished. “Right, when Sprocket Watchclock arrives, I’ll have a great deal more time on my hooves to spend on the both of you, and your mother.” Pepper said, pulling the two colts into an awkward parental hug. “You promise?” They asked in stereo. “I promise,” Pepper replied, tightening his embrace. “Glad to hear that...” Heartbreak said with a throaty cough. “Oh,” Pepper let go of Tick and tock. “Sorry, it just feels like an eternity is all.” “You don’t need to explain anything to me, Pepper. I was here, remember?” Heartbreak asked peering down the hall toward the restrooms before looking back at the time pony. “I’m just glad that you’re, ya know, taking steps to take care of yourself. Caaause, Twilight told me about the aftermath of ‘April Foals Day’.” She said turning her head to the side and rolling her eyes before covering her mouth in a longer cough. “Oh... Oh!” Pepper said, recalling the events of utter clockwork chaos, destruction, and the sad cold truth of his former mentor he was forced to face that fateful day. A worried flittering passed Pepper Pocket’s face as Heartbreak gave a deep extended cough into the crook of her foreleg. “Speaking of taking care of one’s self,” he began pulling Tock away. “You have made time to see a doctor about that cough, yes?” Heartbreak paused and sputtered a little before nodding. “Already taken care of. This is just the last dregs of something I was fighting in last week.” Just then, the soft sound of hooves echoed down the hall as Fluttershy returned. “Something that Fluttershy has been helping me get through,” Heartbreak said clearing her throat before mentioning to the befuddled pegasi as she flicked her forehoof momentarily. “Oh?” She asked tenuously looking around. “W-what have I been doing? Did I miss something?” “I was just catching up with Pepper here and telling him about how you’re making sure that I’ve been getting better is all,” Heartbreak explained. “Nothing terrible, embarrassing, or beyond a G-rating...” she said, trailing off as she tapped her hooves together uneasily. “Oh... Okay.” Fluttershy said, the confusion still sieging her face. “So-uh-about that plug!” Heartbreak exclaimed, sharply turning back to Pepper Pocket. Ding-Ding! Interrupted the reception bell. “Miss Heartbreak?” Iris read from a small floating piece of paper. Upon getting a near death glare from the tan mare, she gave a nervous giggle while covering her mouth. “Right, sorry. H.B.” she corrected herself. “It’s fine,” Heartbreak said, taking a deep breath and attempting to put on a cheery face before looking back up. “Yes?” “They’re done early!” Iris said, holding up a pair of glasses cases. She peered over the counter. “Oh, Mr. Pepper Pocket. Tick and Tock here for their Nine-Eighteen? Dr. Rodsncones can see you now.” “Past nine o’clock already?” Pepper asked, pulling a gilded silver pocket watch from his front barrel pocket. “Oh! So it is! Time certainly flies doesn’t it?” “IIIII guess.” Heartbreak replied, watching as Pepper Pocket and his colts got off the bench. “Wait, what about the plug?” Peppers’ eyes widened and he nodded as he took a clipboard from Iris. “Ah, yes, I suppose that if you stop by the shop when you have the time, I’ll see what I can do.” “Awesome,” Heartbreak said, as a brown paper bag containing her new spectacles came floating up to her face. “Oh, yeah, thanks.” “If I was being honest,” Pepper hummed, tapping the pen he was using to fill out the form. “I would have thought that you would have gone to a farrier for your hoof incident.”   “Oh... Yeah... You’d think that..” Heartbreak said, motioning to the bag before her. “Uhm, Fluttershy, would you mind? I- may also need an assist with putting them on my face, I mean, if you don’t-” “Oh! Of course not!” Fluttershy said, plucking the bag from the air and nosing the contents within. “Uhm, black or purple?” “Black,” Heartbreak answered with only a moment's thought. “Then again, if there was anything, well, else you taught me that day, it was that I am capable of creating things outside of my usual clocks and cogs!” Pepper Pocket interjected, not yet realizing whether or not the conversation was over. Heartbreak looked confused up to the moment where the black round framed glasses were slid onto the bridge of her muzzle and squeezed themselves into place. “Oh... you mean with the device,” she said, blinking and moving her head back and forth a few times. “You’re welcome?” “Yes,” Pepper said, floating the clipboard back to Iris. “Like I said: Whenever you have the time, just pop in and I’ll-” “Daaaaad!” Tick interrupted, rolling his eyes. “Come. On. Already!” “Yeah! While we’re still young, already?” Tock griped.” You can talk with your new adult friend later!” “Yeah! I wanna go home and get back to the scroller!” Tick complained. “Me too! I can’t believe that Noblecolt9’oclock said that Canterlot clocks are better than anything our shop could make,” Tock fumed heading towards the double doors. “As if! We’ve got clanks in our basement more advanced!” Tick exclaimed, beaming with a bit of pride as he followed his brother on through. Pepper Pocket brushed his vest and gave the two mares an embarrassed smile and an uneasy chuckle. “Colts, am I right?” he asked, shrugging. This was then followed by the doors swinging open and Tick and Tock’s impatient glares at the spotted pony. “Dad! We said ‘Come On’!” They shouted in unison before letting the doors swing closed. “Uhm, right, I ought to be going,” Pepper said pointing in the direction that his sons went. “So, just drop me a scroll sometime, right?” "A-alright," Heartbreak replied, a slight bemused look of schadenfreude on her face. Pepper turned to the doors. "Boys! How many times have I said 'inside voices'? And what's more, stay out of the baseme-" Heartbreak let out a heavy sigh of relief as Pepper's words were cut off. "Well, that was... something ." She said, once more moving her head back and forth. "Though... it is prompting me to ask a question... One that I'm... a little embarrassed to ask..." "What's that?" Fluttershy asked, lifting the croakie over and behind Heartbreak's head. "Is it about the glasses? Because they look very good on you. You look very smart." Heartbreak blinked and looked taken aback, a slight blush rising to her cheeks. "W-what? No-no, thanks, but no." Fluttershy tilted her head and tapped on the frames to make sure that they were straight. "Then what is it?" "Right, I don't know if any of you told me this before..." she paused as to check that Iris had left the room. "But, what the fet is a ‘farrier’?" ========== One small explanation and a few more adjustments to my glasses later, and Flutters and I are back on the streets of Ponyville. "So... they're like a hoof specialist?" I ask as the two of us are blasted with the hot, and worst of all: humid, July weather. "Bleh..." Gawds, I can practically feel my mane and, ugh, tail take on five pounds in water weight. "That might be something to look into, seeing that I don't want to go to the spa." "They do have other services at the spa," Fluttershy says, quickly trotting to my side. No, wait, that's the glasses talking. "Like a curry combing, or helping to brush and manage your mane and tail." "My mane and... tail are fine, Fluttershy." Suddenly, a blob of curling brown obstructs my vision and I narrowly miss colliding with a lamp pole! We must be passing one of the many outdoor restaurants that dot Ponyville, because my ears swivel and pick up a collection of sounds: the clinking of ice in glasses, the giggling of middle aged mares, and a loud snooty voice calling out "Keep telling yourself that, Sweetie!" Out of the corner of my vision, I spot the owner of this all together obnoxious call. She's orange. Not like the artificial orange of orange gummy candies. Speaking of which, under a pale yellow sun hat with a light blue ribbon is an organized mess of a mane that's red-orange. It looks as if it were made of thin peels of, and this should come as no shocker, an orange.  She pulls down her large darkened sunglasses to reveal her orangey eyes, giving me a glare, or a smarmy look, or maybe a stare that I know all too well. A look that I could spot from some of my coworkers, crew mates from my time in the military, and of course, all of my school life. A look that takes a little time to learn, for an individual like me that is, but once learned? There's always no mistaking it. The glare of a bully. I avert my glance and push away any sign that I had even made the slightest bit of eye contact. 'Nope, I don't need any of that in my life,' I tell myself as I keep moving forward, Sweet Apple Acres off in the distance, and Fluttershy at your side believing in you? That's all you need. 'That's right.' I glance at my feathered caretaker. She too has wilted because of the random off-the-cuff comment. 'As long as Fluttershy is with you? Nop-Nobody would mess with you, right? Right! Right! Why are we even thinking about this?! That was just some rude rando! It's not like you know then or have inter-' Just then, my ears fold down at a near high pitched sound emanating from behind me.  A sound, wait... No... a call that I would have hoped didn't exist here in the great land of magical talking ponies. That call being that of the dreaded Karen. "Ex-cuse me!" the shrill voice shouts piercing my poor eardrums. Oh, how I wish I could tune out sounds! "Hey! Ex-Cuuse Me!" "Just ignore them." I repeat to myself, huffs of air escaping from between my teeth. I see something out of the corner of my eye that terrifies me more than the screeching banshee behind me. Fluttershy pausing, lifting her hoof, and her body making an ever-so-slight change in direction as her head turns a few degrees as if she's going to address whomever is yowling at us. I lift my hoof up and shake my head in a subtle way. I really hope she picks up that I have no interest in talking to this individual... "H.B.," she begins, her voice not quite a whimper. "It isn't very nice to just ignore other ponies..." "That's absolutely right!" The orange pony practically shouts at me while stopping a hoof on the sidewalk. "Or are you going to pretend that you can't hear me now?" She chides snidely. Again, I'm not sure if that's the right word. Wait, wasn’t it snide? Whatever, I’ll look up both later. Either way, a snort and the way her ears are pinned back tells me somehow, someway, that I have offended this mare. Taking a deep breath, I straighten my neck and turn to look at this mystery pony, momentarily peeking at her cutie mark so that I have some clue as to what I'm about to deal with. An upright canning jar filled with a golden-orange substance with darker orange bits floating within. The whole thing is accented with a curl of... big surprise, a curl of an orange peel. Not my most creative description, but... Just then, she clears her throat, her eyebrows furrow behind those ridiculous sunglasses of hers. "Yes, can I help you?" I ask, putting on what I assume is a 'customer service' face. Though I'm sure I am not even remotely close to sticking the right tone. "Are you Heartbreak?" She asks, pulling her glasses down revealing that her questioning eyes are more of a marigold-yellow. "I like to be called 'H.B.'," don't add, don't add, don't- "but yes, my name is Heartbreak..." Gawd, damn it! "I thought so, " Her voice barely covered the singing that was present in her critique of my mane. "I am so glad that I ran into you." "Oh really?" I ask, trying to cover up any incredulous time. "Uhm, and who are you?" Ugh, there. Question asked. Maybe now Fluttershy and I can get our flanks moving to Apple- "Ah-" she gives what sounds like a really fake laugh, before waving her left front hoof dismissively. "I thought you would have remembered me." She gives me this funny expression as she smiles and flutters her eyes at me expectantly.  Her sunny disposition sours as it becomes apparent that I'm just not getting whatever message she's attempting to convey.  "I'm Mars Orange's mother...?" Well, that explains all the orange themes going on here. She gives an irritated groan. "Marmalade?" "She was at the Summer Readers last week, remember?" Fluttershy gently nudges. "It's been a long week for her, she's been sick for most of it..." "Oh that's just terrible to hear..." she almost coos. "I do hope that you're feeling better, especially with the favor I want to ask of you..." ========= Heartbreak took a deep breath. "A favor?" She squeaked out. "Begging your pardon, but I hardly know you..." "Well, maybe so, but it's just a teeny, tiny thing," Marmalade began, lifting her hoof in the air. "You see it's about my son, Mars?" "What... about.. him?" Heartbreak asked in a tone that was steadfastly steadily growing ever irritated.  "Well, it's just that, " Marmalade clicked her tongue, her gaze briefly falling on Fluttershy before she tapped her chin, as if she was about to carefully craft her words. "My dear, sweet, precocious little Mars has been telling me how much better your voices are compared to mine everytime I try to read him a bedtime story!" "Uh... kay... That's... nice to hear... I guess." Heartbreak replied, beginning to pull away.  Marmalade cleared her throat with a sharp 'Eh-Hem!' "My... apologizes..." Heartbreak said through gritted teeth before she turned back. "Was there more? Because Fluttershy and I have things that we really need to be taking care of..." "No need to be rude..." Marmalade quaffed. "But yes, you see, seeing that you have such a wonderful way with colts and fillies, and word around town being that you love to read to them anyway... I was wondering if it would be too much trouble to come over to my place and read my darling little Mars to sleep." Heartbreak's face turned from one irritation to exasperated disbelief. She took another deep breath through her nose before rubbing the bridge of her muzzle and pushing her glasses up, her eyes shut tightly in frustration. "Are you asking if I would stop by your house, just to read your son's bedtime stories?" She asked, her voice dripping with the merest taint of infuriation. "That is just what I said, so, yes! I can pay you if you would like. Though from what I hear, you don't much need the bits..." Marmalade said, grinning a knowing grin. "So, is that a yes? If so, my adorable little Mars has a prompt bedtime of Eight-Thirty." Heartbreak's face twitched and she coughed out a scoffing laugh. A laugh that lasted a few too many 'ha's' for the orange themed pony's tastes.  "Now see here!" She decried stomping her hoof. "I did not ask you this favor just to be laughed at! Will you or won't you read to my little Mars?!" "O-oh, you were serious," Heartbreak said, pushing her glasses up and chuckling. Fluttershy's looks of disapproval stemmed any further laughter. "I'm going to have to say 'no' to that 'favor'." She said, turning once more towards her goal of restarting the walk down the street. "No? No?!" Marmalade asked first with disbelief and then impunity. "No?! Well, why not!? You're reading to that dirty little orphan filly when she comes to that home of yours!" Heartbreak stopped in her tracks, her head turned slightly before she let out a loud, angry equine snort through her nostrils. "Excussse me?" She hissed, her mane and tail starting to twist and curl. "What?" Marmalade asked coyly. "I just want to know why you're reading to her outside the scheduled Summer Reader times and not to anypony else's colts and fillies. It hardly seems fair that you're giving her special treatment." Heartbreak could feel bile twisting inside her gut over this mare's confusing and manipulative sounding tone, and just as she was about to turn to face this... this mare and deliver a well deserved piece of her mind, she felt the strongest of touches on her shoulder and an 'oh!' trickle into her ears that delayed any such retribution in Cream Puff's name. Looking up, she saw Fluttershy giving her a wide eyed expression of concern that, for a few seconds, was mingled with fear. This then settled into one that silently told the tan mare that she would try to step in and resolve the matter before them. "Uhm, Marmalade?" Fluttershy asked, placing herself between the two ponies. "Hmmm, yes, Fluttershy?" "I'm sure that while it might seem like H.B. is giving Cream Puff special treatment, that's just not the case at all." "Oh, really? Then why won't she read to my precious little Mars?" Marmalade repeated, this time adding an over-dramatic whimper to her words. "Hmmm?" "Well, it's just that she's been really, really, really sick for the past week." Fluttershy explained, a little slower than usual. "Yes, yes, so you said. I don't see what that has to do with anything. Besides, she seems fine now. " Marmalade huffed, scowling a little before Heartbreak cleared her throat. "She might seem like she's recovered, but she was so sick that I had to take her to the hospital!" Fluttershy exclaimed. "Isn't that right, H.B.?" "Y-yeah," Heartbreak creaked out, clearing the phlegm from her throat a second time. "Wouldn't want Mars catching anything that might still be hanging around, right? Besides-" she let out another mighty hacking and hmmmm! to really drive her illness home. "I barely know who you are. We're practically strangers, remember?" "You wouldn't want a stranger coming into your home and getting anypony sick, like Mars or even Blood Orange, would you?" Fluttershy asked, her head tilted in some genuine concern over the point H.B. had just raised. Marmalade's demeanor shifted as she pulled back, her smug expression falling to one of worried concern. "Well... no. But-" she paused, blinking as she began attempting to wrack her brain on how to respond. "Y-you see, it's just-" she finally conceded as she looked at the ground. "No, I don't want that..." "Also, and I'm not sure this is worth pointing out, but Cream Puff came to that house of mine because she wanted to," Heartbreak sternly said. "Now, excuse us, we need to be on our way." "Oh? Is that so?" Heartbreak shuddered a bit and took a deep breath. "Yes it is," she replied, still walking. "Well, I..." Marmalade began irritatedly, only for her expression to suddenly change into that of a bright and cheery smile. "I suppose until we meet again!" She musically chimed. Heartbreak dithered and rolled her eyes. "Yeah, So looking forward to that." She said in a grumbling tone.  Marmalade huffed and turned but not before attempting to get in the final word in the conversation. "Hopefully by then, you'll think about brushing and maybe styling that mane and tail of yours. I hate to be the bearer of bad news, but the other mothers are talking." Heartbreak only replied with another angry side glance, her eyes beginning to warp the light reflected in them into points as her mane and tail curled and spiraled even tighter. "Uhm, well, my drink must be getting cold- I mean warm! The ice in it is melting and I should get back to that!" Marmalade steamed, pointing back to the restaurant table that she had abandoned for all of this. "Yesss, you ssshould do that, Karen..." Heartbreak hissed almost under her breath. "It's Marmalade!" The orange mare corrected  "Yess, Marmalade. I'll remember that for next time." Heartbreak continued walking forward, only relaxing the moment she heard the indigent 'humphs' and strained, sharp hoof steps of the mare who had served to waste more of her time getting to Applejack's farm faded out of hearing range. After a few blocks of walking in silence, Fluttershy cleared her throat to speak. "H.B.?" Heartbreak sighed. "Yes, I know I could have... delegated? Navigated? That situation a lot better." "Well..." Fluttershy fought the need to bite her tongue. "Y-yes..." she finally conceded. "Thought so..." Heartbreak muttered. "But really? Who does that? Just randomly sstops you in the middle of walking and asskss you if you'll read bedtime sstoriess to their fffoalss!" She fumed, her mane and tail curling and raising as if they were coming to life! "Uhm, H.B.?" Fluttershy looked around, the streets didn't have many, if any, ponies on them- for now at least. "And there wasss her trying to guilt me into coming to her houssse? The sssheer fetting entitlement! I really hope that a bird got into her drink!" Just then, a partially tightly twisted lock in Heartbreak's tail snapped and whip-cracked at a nearby group of potted flowers, causing the petals of said flowers to fly off! "Heart- H.B.?!" Fluttershy nervously stammered before quickly covering her mouth as she realized what she had nearly done. "I'm sorry!" She whimpered. "Any reason you were about to call me by my full name?" Heartbreak asked after the wide-eyed shock passed her face. "I know that the bird doing something to her drink might have been a step too far, but I didn't think that it warranted using my name..." "I-I'm sorry..." Fluttershy repeated. "I just needed to get your attention..." Heartbreak blinked, there was a snide comment bubbling below the surface, fighting its way to get out. The demure pegasus could see it in the way that her charge's mane and tail continued to tighten their coils even further. "You could have tapped me on the sshoulder or ssomething," Heartbreak suggested with a wry smile and a small chuckle before she pushed her glasses up. "I was afraid to," Fluttershy said, only slightly transfixed on me from the corner of her eye. "Afraid?" Heartbreak asked, snorting in disbelief. "Why would you be afraid? You didn't do anything wrong. Not like Marmalade back there... or Rodssnconess..." she hissed, her tail curling up a little more. "Oh, uhm-" "Or Narrow Beam..." Heartbreak scowled, her tail slithering on the ground behind her, curls relaxing and coiling back up. "H-H.B.?" "Or worssse, Manifessst Dessstiny!" Heartbreak seethed. And with that emphasized singular name, the tip of Heartbreak's agitated tail whip-cracked once more, this time against the glass of a front store window of the nearby flower shop-producing a sound much akin to small rocks striking it three times! "That's why..." Heartbreak jumped back, startled by the sudden noise. "What was that ssound, and what'ss why?" Fluttershy said nothing, but pointed at the window's reflective surface. "What? What iss-" Heartbreak stopped mid-sentence as she sped the message being reflected back at her.  A wild tangle of writhing snake-like curls were their mane and tail. This pony's eyes were not any better as the sparkly blue had been dulled out and the light reflected in them warped into unnaturally pointed white shapes... "What the fffet?!" She yelped, backing away from the distorted image before rubbing her eyes in disbelief. Looking back, her mane and tail quickly drooped and lost their life like a foal that had been caught with a hoof stuck in the cookie jar. She shook her head in disbelief. "What the fet was that?!" Fluttershy found herself at a loss of words, but clearly there was pain, confusion, and distress in Heartbreak's voice.  However, before she could even get a word, the ringing of the flower shop's door bell aggressively interrupted the scene as a pale magenta mare with a lime green mane and even darker green eyes stormed out. "Did either of you two see who threw rocks at my shop window?!" She fumed before snorting and stomping her front hooves. "Uhm, n-noo," Heartbreak said. "Fluttershy?" She asked suspectly. "Uhm, " she glanced at Heartbreak who was giving an uncomfortable grimace. "N-no, I didn't see anypony throwing rocks, Flower Wishes." “Flower Wishes? I swear their name was, uhm... Daisy!” Heartbreak asked, her face scrunching up to recall the pony’s name. “Either or is fine with me,” Daisy replied looking around. “I bet it was that Mars Orange, always a trouble maker- saaaay aren’t you Heartbreak?” Heartbreak groaned a little. “Yes, that’s me, but please, please call me ‘H.B.’” “Oh.. Well, you know that your mane and tail are just a terrible mess, right?” Heartbreak looked at the flower pony in a deadpan manner. “Yesss...” “It could really use a brushing... or a pretty flower to adorn it!” Daisy said, smiling widely. “Maybe a rose or a violet? Oh, wait! I just so happen to have the perfect heart shaped flooo-AAAAH!!!” The mare shrieked upon turning around to see that particular red heart shaped flower, cleaved in twain. “My tropical anthurium!!! Who would do such a thing?!” “Oh, uhm- we’re-” Fluttershy began, shame in her voice. “I will make sure that they pay dearly for this!!” Daisy uncharacteristically erupted, stomping her hoof and shouting dramatically at the sky before crumpling next to her poor assaulted flower. “Not sure about what happened there. It was like that when we were walking by,” Heartbreak quickly interjected, cutting fluttershy off who gave her a very uncomfortable glance. “You wouldn’t happen to have a bathroom we could use in your shop? To take care of my mane situation?” Daisy sniffed and looked at her broken anthurium. “Y-yes, j-just-just ask Rose Luck for the key at the front counter!” She said through sobs. “Uhm.. We could go to the spa instead, H.B...” Fluttershy suggested. “I don’t do spas, Fluttershy...” Heartbreak said, clearing fighting a small bit of irritation attempting to come out in her voice. “Besides, I’d much rather you be the one there in case this starts to act up again...” She said through clenched teeth while pointing up at her mane. “Oh... I-I suppose you’re right...” Fluttershy replied. “Now..” Heartbreak said, scooting past the mourning Daisy. “Ope! Excuuuuse us!” “I-I’m really sorry about your loss...” Fluttershy consoled the weeping floral pony as she passed by. “Fluttershy, come on...” Heartbreak muttered. “Eeep! Sorry!” She repeated, looking at Daisy apologetically before going into the shop, only for her head to pop out once more to give another quick ‘I’m really sorry...’ “Fluttershy!” Heartbreak called out. “Oh! Sorry!” Fluttershy called out only to give another ‘Sorry!’ to Daisy before ducking back in. Daisy sniffed and wiped her tears. “What pony would break such a beautiful flower that is only meant for kindness?" ========= I find myself glaring at the mare in the mirror once more. Last time it was because I was reminded of my mother, ponified, and now... What the fucking fet was that? No response from either end. No writhing mane, no whipping tail. I swear, if Fluttershy wasn’t there to point it out? I’d either be blissfully ignorant or think that I was going insane. ... Well, more so than normal. Fluttershy is surprisingly calm for what just happened or maybe she’s secretly hiding her freak out. She pulls out what appears to be a pink standard looking brush from out of her saddlebags followed by a couple of teal hair scrunchies. She says nothing but places the scrunchies next to the sink and, with a brush in mouth, goes forward to untangling the mess sat atop my head. I can’t help but brace myself. After all, neither mom nor dad ever brushed or combed my hair... I think... but I’m still at a loss at what to expect. However, as the brush moves through my mane, I’m made aware of two things that I hadn't been before. These being that one, ponies manes aren’t all over their heads. There’s a ... uhm.. Ridge? Crest? Bah, I don’t know what it’s called. I’ll look that up on my next trip to the library. Five months here and I still don’t know all ‘the parts of the pony.’ The second thing is that apparently, brushing doesn’t have to feel all that ... awful... I dare say... that... it... kinda... sorta.....uhm... doesn’t feel all that ... unpleasant? Maybe... even... nice? “So...” Uhoh, she wants to talk. That’s something I did expect. I knew it was coming. It’s part of the reason that I asked to use this bathroom and why I checked the stalls! Still that doesn’t seem to stop the spike of anxiety that shoots through my being. “I don’t know what was going on there.” Yup! Cut to the chase! “Or what’s the trigger.” “Oh...” “You seem less-than surprised about whatever just happened...” She pauses in her brushing. “Rarity had said something similar happened before...” She says so very quietly. “A-and I know you don’t like it when we talk about you...” “‘Something like this?’ I tilt my head readying for more brushing. “I’m afraid I don’t recall being dropped into a Jinji Ito manga...” “Uhm...” She looks utterly lost at my reference.  “Right, right, uhm, they’re a form of graphic novel,” I explain. “Don’t worry about it. Point is that I don’t recall my mane or tail coming to life or whatever this new problem happens to be.” Fluttershy continues her gentle strokes. “Rarity said that it happened when some construction workers made some... very inappropriate comments to you...” “Oh. Yeah. That.” I grimace as I recall the name of that one stallion who introduced me to Equestria’s version of ‘bitch’. Gah! Didn’t I just say it while we were outside?! Oh, right, it was- “Narrow Beam... That fffetting jerkwad...” Just then, a sharp pain emanates from that mane ridge and I let out a harsh whinny and snort as the brush snags! “Oh! I’m sorry! Y-your mane! I-it just almost grabbed the brush!” Looking in the mirror, I am once again greeted with that horrifying face! The tightening curls of hair, the weird points of twisted, pointed black and white in my eyes. Even the features of my face have an almost hard-shadowed, angularness to them. However, as gawd awful as all that is, nothing is worse than the wide-eyed terror nearly plastered on Fluttershy’s face. I need to calm the fet down! Come on! Calm blue oceans! "U-Uhm!" Fluttershy squeaks out, cowering and trying not to tug on the brush. "I... uhm.. maybe... you could-" Oh please don't say it, please don't- "Re-re-relax?" She whimpers.  Any other pony, and I'm sure I'd have exploded. I'm still struggling to find my center here, but I'm far from relaxed, and Fluttershy knows this. "I'm... trying... to..." "Oh!" Her eyes light up and she looks like she's momentarily forgotten what horrible monstrosity she's working with. "Twilight learned a breathing exercise from Princess Cadance to help her relax. Maybe... you... could..." "I don't recall thossse working all too-" she whimpers lightly and fet there go my objections. "But I sssuppossse I can try..." Taking a deep breath, I lift a hoof and let out a hissing noise from between my teeth, allowing the appendage to slowly fall as I run out of air. Looking back to the mirror, it seems everything has returned to 'normal'. No more curls, no more weird eyes, and no more sharp shadows. Just an almost ponified version of what I’d imagine my mother to look like. “I... Think we found your trigger...” Fluttershy quietly whimpers. “Ya think?” Ah, jeeze, that reply was too harsh, H.B.! “I apologize. I didn’t mean for it to come out like that... it’s just... with what happened with... Karen...” “Marmalade...” She gently corrects going back to the task of brushing my mane. “I know her name... It’s just the way she was acting along with that interaction with Rodsncones... it must have set off some anxious parts of my brain...” I blow that stupid forelock out of my face. “And bumping into Pepper Pocket didn’t help matter either, I suppose...” “Really?” She asks, pausing and lifting a hoof to her mouth in shock. “But Pepper was so nice!” Hooooboy... “He was,” Please don’t ask, please don’t ask, please don- “Then what was wrong?” Ugh. Fet. Locks. “It kinda involves what happened on April Foals Day and the Creativi-Tea, and-” Come on H.B., you can get this out! “The really... awkward way that I asked him to make my mechanical pencil..” “Oh...?” Damn it! “Yeah... Yeah... It was... really awkward and uhm... really... adult.” “Uhm... I am an adult.” “N-no, I mean adult-adult.” “Despite what Pinkie Pie says, I am an adult.” She turns her head a little and huffs. “I’m a year older than her...” She insists. “What I mean is-...ugh... Yeah, you know what? Fet it. You are an adult, so I’ll treat you like one...” Geez , who woulda thought that Fluttershy was still so bitter about that age thing? “After I had drilled my hoof... I went to About Time, his clockshop, right? And when I asked him if he could make my pencil, he said that he just didn’t have the time for such a project...” “That doesn’t-” I hold up a hoof. “I’m not done yet.” “Oh, sorry...” “It’s ok, Fluttershy,” Those three words feel like they’re going to be my catchphrase for this month. “Anyway, in my tea-addled state, that was just unexceptable.” I feel a tug and a small bit of pain from the brushing. “Ow...” I say reflexively. “S-sorry...” She repeats, pulling through a larger tangle. “It’s fine... really, just don’t pull out too much,” I reply with a small chuckle.” So... I said...” Deep breath here. “To Pepper that I was a... mare... with... needs... And that I had a ...” Another deep breath H.B.! “ A hole... that needed filling...” Glancing in the mirror, I can see the instance where Flutters gets the double entra... Aaaand there goes the wide eyes and Flutterblush! “Oh... My...” “Yeah. And it wasn’t made any better by the fact that I had him...” Ugh! Hide your face, Heartbreak! “Pinned against the wall, with my neck ... reaching down...” I thought that saying this through gritted teeth would make it less awkward and horrible and what have you, but really? It doesn’t. It really doesn’t... There’s a clatter of the brush falling to the floof and hitting the bathroom tile below. “O-Oh. My. Goodness!!” “Don’t be too loud there, Flutters,” I say as my hoof runs down my face. “I know the stalls here are empty, but I don’t want any errant ears hearing any of this.” “Oh... Right..” She says, notes of what I think are shame in her voice as she goes to pick up the brush and begins to brush out my... tail. “I’m sorry.” “It’s fine, Flutters. It’s-” I squeak at the tugging at said appendage. I can already see her going to apologize. “That’s fine too… but like I was saying, seeing Pepper was awkward, and maybe not being able to properly apologize due to his two colts being there maybe made things a touch worse.” Fluttershy looks like she’s mulling over what she’s going to say next. “I suppose that’s for the best. I know that I couldn’t say anything in front of Zephyr without him telling my parents.” She says with a note of irritation in her voice as she reaches back up to my mane. “He would-” She pauses as the brush snags on something back there! OH, geez! This doesn’t feel like it’s going... to... Come! Out! Easy!! “Gah!” The force of the tug has me falling forward and nearly planting my face on the cool, hard bathroom tile!  “Eeep! I’m sorry! I’m sorry! I’m Sorry!” “It’ss... fine, Fluttershy...” Fet! Shake off the adrenaline! “I’m fine! Nothing’s bro-” Just then, out of the corner of my eye I spy something white moving in the space under the stalls. Ugh, even in Equestria it seems that full privacy isn’t really a thing... “Are you sure, I’m really-” “Shhhh!” Fet! I checked the stalls didn’t I? Slowly, I push my glasses up and turn my head, desperately hoping against hope that no... pony has been sitting in here the entire... time... Tissue paper. “Just a messy little scrap of tissue paper,” I say, breathing a sigh of relief before pushing myself back up. “I thought that somep-p-pony might have come in here when I wasn’t paying attention for a second is all..” “S-should I go back to brushing?” She asks sheepishly. “Yeah, it’s fine, Fluttershy.” Fet, I can already hear her asking the question. “And yes, I’m sure. I mean as long as you don’t make me look pretty. Like Rarity did that one time..” ========= Heartbreak squirmed a little while eyeing Fluttershy who was humming a little tune as she continued to brush away.”Are you almost done? I really can’t stand... standing in one place for long periods of time...” “Y-yes, sorry...” Fluttershy said, running the brush a few more times through Heartbreak’s now thick, fluffy, and puffy locks before exchanging it for the teal scrunchies. “It’s fine,” Heartbreak replied distantly. “I’m surprised at how many m-m-mane and tail care products you have at the ready.” Fluttershy smiled before gathering up the dark brown cloud-like organized mess and binding it up with the teal-green scrunchie. “Sometimes, taking care of animals means that I have to give them baths... and that’s so much easier if I put my mane and tail up...” “Oh. That makes sense...” Heartbreak replied, before going wide-eyed at a sudden realization. “Wait, does that mean that you use that brush to...” Fluttershy blinked in confusion before realizing the conclusion that H.B. must have come to. “Oh!” she giggled a little and shook her head. “No, you have nothing to worry about,” she said with a reassuring smile. “I boil it after every brushing!” “Well.. Better than not, I suppose...” Heartbreak replied with uncomfortable relief. “Oh, yes,” Fluttershy said, nodding. “You never know what could be hiding in the brush afterwards... I do always give them a chance and ask them to leave nicely, but...” She shook her head sadly. “Some of them are very stubborn. So... very stubborn...” she repeated in a distant, dark, and worrisome tone. “So!” Heartbreak exclaimed, desperately hoping to steer away from the subject matter. “Let’s see what you did to me!” She said turning to the mirror, only to have an expression of shocked bewilderment scale its way to her face. “Well...” “Is everything alright?” Fluttershy asked, tapping her hooves together anxiously. “Dead mom mane...” Heartbreak said ominously.  “I-I’m sorry?” Fluttershy asked. “Dead mom mane. It’s another trope in those comics I was telling you about earlier? Like, every mom that has this mane and tail tyle is slated to die in those stories,” Heartbreak explained. “Uhm, do you want me to change it?” Just then, out in the Flower Shop proper, the musical notes of the clock chimed fifteen till. “Aw geez, what time is it?” Heartbreak asked, going to her saddlebags to search out her mechanical pencil. Once found, she tapped on the devices’ face three times so that it would display the information she wanted. “Fet! Nine-fifty-four? Daisy’s clock must be slow...Uhm, what time were we meant to be at Applejack’s?” “I think about, uhm, thirty minutes ago...” Fluttershy said. “Really? Fet. I guess you took your time with these two?” Heartbreak asked jokingly pointing at her mane and tail. “I’m sorry..” Fluttershy replied. “There were a lot of tangles...” “Yeeeeah... that’s true..” “And they were both really soft...” She quietly added. “Almost like a chinchilla...” Heartbreak’s face dropped a bit in shock. “Well, uhm, I-y-you know what? This is fine? The mane and tail are fine. No need to do any further brushing. Definitely no need for any further brushing!” “It wouldn’t be any trouble...” “No, no, it’s fine,” Heartbreak stammered. “It’s fine, we’ve spent enough time on this. Applejack’s most likely wondering where we are...” “A-are you sure?” “Yuuup, it’s just a m-mane style,” Heartbreak replied, rolling her eyes at how clunky that felt to say. “I’m sure that A.J.’s not gonna care,” she said, slipping her saddlebags back on. “Now come on. Let’s get going.”