//------------------------------// // Chapter 15 // Story: Christmas Company // by LightDoinStuff //------------------------------// The silence of the home offered little reprieve for Fluttershy. She glanced at Mark, who lay on his bed, staring at the ceiling, lost in thought. He hadn't spoken a single word since they got home. The pegasus mare wasn't faring much better. The realization that she'd been that close to becoming a prisoner again left her unable to think of much else. This had also been their only lead to finding her friends, and now…it was all gone. She desperately wished she could curl into a ball and cry. The sound of sobbing to her side reminded her that she wasn't the only one suffering at that moment. She knew that even if she were capable of curling into a ball and crying, she couldn't choose that. Right now, her friend who'd sacrificed so much needed her. He needed the best she could do - it was time for her to be strong. Mark's mind was a mess of thoughts. The events of the day had shaken his faith in those around him. He'd realized that he couldn't trust anyone completely, for what would they have to hide, even unknowingly? Who else was involved in this? Were they watching right now? This thought sent his vision to the blinds of his room. They were closed, but the smallest amount of the outside world peeked through the cracks. If someone were dedicated enough, could they see through? His heart rate began to increase. His breathing staggered. His eyes began to water. Was anywhere truly safe? Was anyone safe? Was his horrible nightmare from only a few nights prior going to come true? Was his life in danger? Was Fluttershy's? The final thought directed his attention to the pegasus. She sat with her head down, likely trying to process for herself everything that was going on. Mark could only imagine what was running through her head. What did she think of him now? Did she still trust him? Was he worthy of her trust? Would she decide that he wasn't safe to be around and leave? Mark's breath caught in his lungs. Tears began to form. The sobbing started. Alone. Completely alone and comfortless. That would be his fate. If he were unlucky enough, perhaps those men would find him and capture him, trying to use him as ransom to get to their prized prey…not that she would be around to help. His mind began to shut down, accepting that there really was no hope after all. A wave of darkness enveloped his thoughts, creating a final resting place for what little fight he had left in him. It was over. He felt an embrace. It was firm enough to be noticeable, but not so much as to prove uncomfortable. It was an embrace born of compassion and concern, laced with the bond that could only come from a true friend. The tears he felt fall on his shirt proved that he was not the only one moved to emotion. Mark opened his eyes, revealing a large pink mane. Protruding from beneath it was the muzzle of a pony holding him tightly. Glancing around her mane, he could see her eyes shut tightly, and her normally soft smile broken into a look of pain. Her front hooves were wrapped around him, her head resting on his chest, her breathing slow and methodical. He could faintly make out a whisper escaping her lips. "It'll be okay, Mark. I'm still here, and I'm not leaving." Acting purely on instinct, he placed a hand against her back and gently pet her. The action put him at ease as well, at least for the moment. It may have been a temporary solace, but it was one he desperately needed. "What are we going to do, 'Shy?" He whispered in return, his voice breaking anew. Her eyes opened and she glanced up at him. "I don't know." She replied, "I really don't know, but we're going to make it through this. My friends and I have always found ways out of trouble, and that's what we're going to do here." She paused for a moment, then quietly added, "Just like what you did for me." Mark sighed, hugging the pony tightly. "I hope your friends find you soon, 'Shy. You don't deserve to be in danger like this constantly." Fluttershy tightened the embrace. "I hope so too." After a few moments, Fluttershy released him, landing her front hooves back on the carpet. "Come on, let's both get ready to sleep." After both brushed their teeth and Mark had dressed in pajamas, the two returned to his room. "I'm not sure I'll be able to sleep tonight, 'Shy." He warned, sitting next to her on the carpet. "You don't need to." She advised, "I'll stay up with you until you feel tired." "All night if you need to?" He asked. She nodded with her usual faint smile. "All night." A ghost of a smile crept across Mark's face for the first time since they'd arrived home. "Well, I guess we could watch a movie or something," he suggested, "try to take our minds off…everything." His eyes grew wider as his thoughts returned to what had happened only an hour ago. He began to feel the familiar fear creeping up on him, his body beginning to shake as the possibility of danger became all the more real. Said fear was silenced when he felt a wing gently curl around him. Glancing over, he saw his dear friend once again providing much needed comfort, her smile and eyes sharing one simple message: "It will be alright." Mark smiled. She was right, things would be alright…somehow. "Well, I guess a comedy is in order." He stated as he pulled up Netflix. As he'd expected, much of the humor went over Fluttershy's head, but she'd been a good sport and chuckled along, even when it was clear she didn't understand the joke. Meanwhile, while he wasn't feeling completely better by the end of it, it had at least helped a little. Mark let out a loud yawn as the credits rolled. "Feeling tired?" Fluttershy asked. Mark nodded. "Definitely. I think I'll be able to sleep okay." Just then, his thought process was caught on an unsettling matter: Had he locked the door to the garage? He didn't want anyone sneaking in and potentially putting himself and Fluttershy in harm's way. It was best to go and check. "One sec," He quickly added, "I need to check something." He stood up and walked the short distance to the door that opened into the garage. Turning on a light, he satisfied himself that both the deadbolt and knob were securely locked. Though his mind had other plans. Checking over this seemingly small fact, Mark could feel his brain once more begin to race with thoughts of what could happen. He imagined those two men, aided by their reluctant but compliant cohort, seeking out the home where their prize lay. He saw them looking in through his window, gleefully watching him writhe in anxiety-driven misery. He saw them waiting outside the house, perhaps even outside the door, waiting for the perfect moment to strike. He could see the tools they had ready, and that they were about to burst through the door any second now. "Mark!" He spun around in a flurry, his breath short and his brow wet with cold sweat. His vision fixated on Fluttershy, her look one of deep concern. "Are you okay?" She asked. Mark tried his best to calm down for her sake, but found it nearly impossible. Moreover, if they were in danger, shouldn't she know? This was anything but a time to be calm! "Mark, you've been gone for 10 minutes." Fluttershy continued, "When I found you, you were staring at that door. I tried calling out to you, but you wouldn't respond. What's going on?" Mark found his jumbled brain forbidding the formation of logical sentences. "'Shy," he whispered, "what if they're right outside?" Fluttershy's eyes went wide. "Are they?" Mark shook his head. "I don't know, but I can't shake the feeling they are." The pegasus's eyes grew less worried. "Mark, is there anything that happened that would lead you to believe they know where we are?" Mark was unable to think properly. "I don't know." He finally replied. Fluttershy gently wrapped a wing around his arm. "It took us a long time to get back here. Do you think they followed us?" Mark found himself able to at least answer this question: "No." Fluttershy weakly smiled. "Then they probably didn't. Come on, let's get some sleep. We've both had a long day." Mark nodded before being led back to his room by his friend. Though he'd logically stated things were likely fine, he still was unable to fully believe it. This feeling persisted as he crawled into the familiar sleeping bag. "I'm just so scared, Fluttershy." He confessed, his voice breaking, "I don't know what to do anymore." Fluttershy lay quietly by his side with her legs tucked underneath her. "I don't know either, Mark, but I do know we're going to be okay tonight. Try to breathe slowly, okay?" He took her advice and slowed his breathing. It didn't solve everything, but his heart rate did lower, and the knot his brain was tied in began to unwind. "You really think so?" He asked. Fluttershy smiled. "I do." Mark gave a weak smile in return. If she was sure, then he could at least trust her word. After the events of that day, he needed to trust someone - or perhaps somepony. His eyes began to grow weary, slowly drooping until his body took care of the rest. He felt sleep begin to claim him, his consciousness fading with each passing moment. As he slowly began to sleep, Fluttershy allowed herself to ponder on Mark's condition. She quickly recognized the anxious fear he was feeling, as she too had experienced those feelings before, though perhaps not in this same way. Here was someone so afraid, he didn't even feel safe in his own home. Perhaps more than any pony or creature she'd met before, he needed a friend. More than that, he needed someone who cared enough to ensure his safety both physically and mentally. He needed someone to listen and empathize with him. He needed her. Settling her mind on the matter, she decided to do what she could the next day to ease his concerns. Fluttershy's eyes then began to fall heavy, to which she allowed sleep to overcome her. Her final thought was the determination that she would not leave his side that night.